


Firebird

by BlueStarPaladin, MsBluebell



Series: Space Moms Write Klance [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Courting Rituals, Courtship, Curses, Fairy Tale Elements, High Fantasy, M/M, Mermaids, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Pirates, Reincarnation, Slavic Lore, Thuderbirds are from Native America Lore but that's it, Thunderbirds - Freeform, True Love, fae lore, firebirds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-05-25 17:20:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 120,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14981900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueStarPaladin/pseuds/BlueStarPaladin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsBluebell/pseuds/MsBluebell
Summary: Lance McClain, the captain of the Blue Lion and the conquerer of the seas. He fights for the poor and steals from the rich, sailing the seas in search of love. He'd had his heart broken many times to the point that he came to the conclusion that he must be cursed.However, upon hearing rumours about a cursed island in the middle of the sea, Lance decided to venture there in search of love. What he found instead was something he never expected.





	1. I Found You

The ocean was calm today.

A good sign for sailors, but Keith could feel a sense of unease swelling within his chest. His feathers ruffled, the colourful plumage raising as a sense of danger washed over him. It was a fine day, almost too fine a day.

He should have expected the day to be finer than most. He'd warned Shiro that the ocean wanted him not to bring the storms today, so the normal thunder that followed the beat of his wings went unsummoned. It was strange to see their island home this clear. The waves looked so _blue_  and calm under the bright sun, and the sands were startlingly white. Objectively, he knew that this was how the island should normally look, but he’d gotten so used to the dark clouds and rolling thunder that it seemed strange for the sun to shine on him.

He hadn’t seen the sun since he lived in desert territory.

Keith shook off the memories, burying them deep beneath his real concerns.

He stood, stretching his wings wide, a red-gold feather falling to the bottom of his nest. Violet eyes narrowed at the feather, reaching down his pale hand to tuck it beneath the walls of the nest, making sure it wouldn’t escape. Loose feathers always brought bad luck if you let them escape.

He flapped, descending from the perch of his nest, bare feet landing roughly on the floor of their treehouse. The soft carpet of the rug tickled his feet, and Keith couldn't help but curl his toes against it. Shiro had traded for it from... somewhere... recently, and it was such a nice addition for their humble home. His brother tended to collect things like that to try and make the place seem more homey, and the rug was definitely a favourite of his.

Speaking of Shiro...

Violet eyes flickered towards the adjacent treehouse. The pale boy flexed his wings, shaking out the colourful plumage. Fresh sunlight hit his face as he stepped out the door, and Keith was nearly blinded for a moment. He covered his eyes with one hand, blinking as his eyes adjusted, stumbling across the bridge towards Shiro's treehouse. He pushed back the flap that made the door, entering the house without knocking in case his brother was still asleep.

 _Ah_ , Shiro's own nest was empty. The loose blankets falling apart, as if his brother left in a rush, probably to explain to Luxia why he wasn't bringing the storms today. Keith flinched, not envying his task. She _definitely_  wouldn't be happy about it, especially since Shiro wouldn't really have much in the way for explanation. With a grimace, the pale boy turned to exit his brother's treehouse, stepping back into the sunlight.

The forest was so green today, and Keith could clearly make out the smoke from the volcano just over the tree line.

He shook his head, spreading his wings and descending the trees, gliding closer to the lagoon below. The waters were clear today, crystal like in appearance. He could clearly make out the fish swimming in the shallower parts of the waters. It was almost fascinating to watch them under the light, their bodies clear to him, they'd be easy hunting for mer today.

Keith settled himself on a branch, moving to walk towards the ever growing fruit of the nearby mango tree, ready to snatch his breakfast.

He couldn't eat meat.

The raven haired boy shook his head, plucking the mango from it's stem and breaking the fruit in half, letting it's juices run over his fingers before taking a bite.

' _The waters stay calm today_.' A voice whispered in his ear, in his head, and Keith knew _instantly_  what he was hearing. He dropped his fruit, the mango falling into the waters below and scaring away the fish.

"What?" Keith asked, turning towards the ocean, because that sounded like it's voice, "What's going on?"

' _A gift child_.' The ocean whispers, ' _A gift from me_.'

"A gift?" Keith tilted his head. The ocean was one of the more fickle gods, ever changing, it's attention ever divided. It was merciless even with the things it loved, so the fact that it was giving them a gift meant it was probably playing some long game with them, or maybe it wanted worship on their island today? Keith bets that was the case. It was much easier to bargain for worship the gods wanted when someone like him was nearby.

"I will tell the others." Keith nodded, spreading his wings, "And we shall honour you today."

 

* * *

 

Boots stomped against the wood of a pirate ship, sailing fiercely across the sea as if water itself parted for it to pass through. The ship was large, it's crew working on keeping it in motion as some climbed up the ropes and others remained on the main deck, running around and each doing the tasks they were assigned to do.

_"Hey ho!"_

_"Whoo ho!"_

They chanted while others cursed the waves for hitting the ship so fiercely that it splashed water all over them. Some laughed, and others yelled out commands along with other various tasks that needed to be done. But all in all, the ship was rowdy, sailing among the quiet of the sea.

One man with a long blue coat stood on the main deck, just behind the steering wheel and looking out into the vast blue before him. The salty wind blew against his face, putting a smile on his face. Today was a good day, he could feel it deep within his bones. It was finally time for him to realize his long lasting dream of ridding himself of his loneliness and find a queen he could cherish.

Yes, for the great pirate, Lance McClain, is on a quest to find the other half of his soul. His soulmate, someone who would love him and cherish him for all he is. He could already imagine their invisible hands, embracing him from behind as he sailed through the rough waters to get to his mistress.

"The sun is shining brightly today and the waves are calm." He moved to the front, looking down at his crew as they worked, judging their actions as the proud captain of the ship.

"Today is the day I, the great Lance McClain, finally achieve my everlasting mission of finding love." His smile grew ever wide, "For I am..."

" _The captain of the Blue Lion_."

Lance paused, looking to the side to spot a woman beside him. She had beautiful white hair, eyes as blue as the clearest of waves, along with creamy skin that was just a tad bit darker than his own. Although he considered this beauty a true goddess the first time they met, now he sees her as a rival more than anything else.

"Ehem..." He cleared his throat, facing Allura, the beautiful woman beside him. "The Blue Lion is my ship Allura. We already established that."

"Excuse me?" Allura turned towards him, leaning against the wooden railing of the ship, "The Blue Lion is a beautiful maiden, fierce and yet beautiful at the same time. It's only fitting that another maiden be her captain. The crew already accepted me as captain so it would be wise of you to cease your foolish attempts at taking my position Lance. Save face in front the rest of your friends."

" _Hah!_ How dare you?!" The brunette leaned his hand against his chest defensively, his skin and brown hair shining beautifully underneath the bright sun. "Blue and I have been together for years. She sailed to me one day out of the blue. Clearly it was destiny that connected us because as soon as I saw her, I knew we were meant to be."

"You mean to say that you stole her?" A new voice replied, both Allura and Lance turning to spot a smaller girl appear beside them. She had short brown hair, hazel eyes, and wore round glasses that were much bigger than she needed them to be. Her arms were folded, looking up at the two with amusement in her eyes. "You're both thieves."

"Of course we are." The comment had no effect on the two, looking out into the blue again, "We're pirates Pidge. We steal for a living."

"So you admit that you're a thief?" She asked skeptically.

"Calling me a thief is such a misrepresentation of what I do little Pidgeon." Lance's blue eyes moved onto the smaller girl again, watching as her parrot, Rover, flew and landed on her shoulder comfortably. "I fight for the innocent, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. The way I conduct business may not seem fair to some, and thus they immediately label me as a thief."

" _Quaack! Thief!"_  Rover quacked, spreading it's wings to peck at them.

"I'm no thief. That would be Allura." The brunette said simply, earning a glare from the said pirate.

"You will address me as captain Allura, for I am the commander of this ship." Her voice was lower but it wasn't anything unusual. Their fight for the ownership of the Blue Lion was a long one, and even the crew had gotten used to their constant fighting. It was getting old by now.

"Hunk!" Lance approached the other side of the railing, calling upon his right hand man who was currently sliding down a rope.

"Y-Yes!?" Hunk, a bulky man with short black hair replied. He slid down the rope but stumbled just as he was about to land on the wood, falling down on his bum before groaning in pain. "O-Ow ow ow!"

Lance rolled his eyes, a grin on his face, "Who is your captain?"

Not again... Hunk already knew what this was about. "You."

"Traitor!" Allura narrowed her eyes, "I shall have both you and Lance thrown off the ship for your traitorous behaviour. For all I know, you can plot a coup against me."

"I wouldn't do that. I'm disappointed you see me in such low light Allura." Lance leaned his hand against his chest, "I would never do something like that to a goddess such as yourself. It's true that we've been arguing for quite some time now, but that's the way we express our love." He lowered his hat, bearing a single white feather as he bowed to the captain wannabe.

"You hold a special place in my heart Allura. You know that." He put his hat back on, walking up to his fellow pirate. "How about we push our differences aside and unite as one? I'll take you on dates, buy you flowers, diamonds, anything you-"

"I can get my own diamonds." Allura leaned her hand against Lance's shoulder, "Too bad Lance. Although I admire your stubbornness at trying."

"Failed again?"

"Absolutely."

Great. The brunette slumped his shoulders, but not willing to accept defeat. One day he'll win the heart of a maiden. He already had Blue but he needed something more.

Love, that is the ultimate treasure he was searching for. He's been looking, seeking it, for so many years. However, his attempts always seemed to fail. At one point he even considered the possibility that he might be cursed.

He had his luck with a few women, and a few men as well. Although he never sensed a true seed of love take root within his heart. He had fun times with them, but it never amounted to anything. He didn't click with anyone just yet and it frustrated him. He was different from the average man, special in his own way.

It was this difference that set him apart from the rest. Not only that, but he became an outcast as well, rejected everywhere he went. However, this time it would be different. He will find a place to belong, even if he has to sail to the end of the Earth to find the love he's seeking.

"Uhmm... Guys?" Hunk walked up to the top deck, joining everyone at the steering wheel of the ship, "Are you sure about going to the cursed island? I heard that anyone who lays their eyes upon it is instantly drowned by the sea. Nobody ever saw it." Hunk shivered at the through, gulping, "Nobody has come back from the island alive."

The wind blew past them all, cooling them under the warm sun. Now that Hunk mentioned their quest, everyone had suddenly gotten serious, smiles and grins dropping.

" _Quekk! Quaa! Cursed! Cursed_!" Rover quaked while a worried Pidge stood with folded arms.

Lance turned to look at the front and into the distance of the direction they were sailing towards. The horizon was clear so far but at any moment now, the cursed island would appear. It is said that the island is always engulfed in a massive storm, drowning all sailors to their deaths.

Nobody knows how the island looks like behind the dark clouds and the thunder that surrounds it. Everything they know about the island is based on pure speculation and rumors alone.

It is said that mer people inhabit the island, killing any sailors that try their luck and sail towards it. That is if they survive the wrath of the storm, which based on the rumors, nobody had done before. The island was dark and horrifying for anyone.

Mothers would sit on the edge of their children's beds, telling tales of the cursed island and of the many pirates and sailors that tried their luck at conquering it; to steal the gold that was hiding within.

Yes, the island was a goldmine.

However, while Lance promised his crew riches, he had his eyes set on something else. Many may see him as a fool, including his own crew, but he's set on finding love on the cursed island.

"We'll try to negotiate with the mer." The captain turned to his crew, "The tales of the island aren't encouraging but I didn't hear about a single sailor trying to communicate with the mer. I believe that's the key we need to getting what we want."

"Not quite young lad!" A new voice spoke, the sound of boots walking up the wooden stairs let them know that the man was coming towards them. Coran, Allura's supposed 'second in command' appeared, stroking his orange moustache that matched his orange hair. "For all we know, the mer living on the cursed island may be dangerous."

Lance quirked a brow, "Not all mer are the same. What if the mer on the island are actually friendly? We won't know until we make contact."

"And that will be extremely dangerous." Coran warned, "You see, mer allure sailors towards them with a song that hypnotizes the soul. They're very seductive in their ways, using their songs to bend their victims to their wills. If they wish you harm, then they'll hypnotize you in a way for you to be still while they consume your flesh. If they wish to play with you, then they'll hypnotize you into playing with them. Anything they want to do with your body, they'll do."

Both Hunk and Pidge shivered, hugging each other protectively.

" _We're all doomed! Quaa! We'll be eaten_!" Rover flew from Pidge's shoulder onto the railing, happily settling onto it.

"I'll negotiate with the mer. You can leave that to me." Lance assured his crew, taking the responsibility upon his shoulders.

"You're not going in alone." Allura put her hand on his shoulder, "We're all sailing on the Blue Lion as one. If one of us falls, we all do."

Her words put a smile on Lance's face, although he was no fool to downgrade the danger they were planning to expose themselves to.

"Although the mer are a problem, I'm also worried about one minor thing." Coran, their expert on the supernatural, spoke up again.

"W-What is it?" Hunk's voice was shaky, both him and Pidge anxiously waiting for what Coran had to say.

"The island is constantly surrounded by storms and dark clouds. That is a bad omen and many creatures are associated with such weather. As you can imagine, many of them aren't privy to humans."

Allura brought her hand up to her chin, "Are you suggesting that the dark clouds may have been artificially created by a supernatural being?"

"It is possible. Abnormal weather like that is a sign that the supernatural are nearby. I'm not making conclusions just yet, but I just wanted to warn you all of the possibility that we may find something more than just the mer on the island."

"Great." Pidge held onto Hunk tightly, "What do we do captain?" She turned to both Lance and Allura, the two of them now as serious as ever. The wind was comforting on their skin, although it wasn't enough to rid them of the sudden fear they felt.

"We sail forward." Lance answered, jumping up onto the wooden railing while holding a rope to support himself, "No matter what dangers we face, I know that we'll be able to succeed as long as we're together." He took in a deep breath, the salt of the sea could be felt in the air around them. "I have a good feeling about this. We'll get to the island, I know it."

"But what about the rumors?"

"Hocus Pocus!" Lance turned on his feet facing everyone with a grin on his face, "I promise we'll find the riches we're looking for. Not only that, but I shall find the love of my life to boot. And then we'll all sail away to the next adventure that awaits us!"

"Horray..." Hunk, Pidge and Coran cheered unenthusiastically, not knowing what to think of their predicament.

"Captain!" Another crew member called from the lookout tower, pointing forward, "I see the cursed island in the horizon! We're here!"

"Finally!" Lance spared not time to climb up the ropes, joined by Allura who was just as anxious as he was. They both made their way to the very top, spotting the island in the distance. There was just one problem though... the island had no clouds around it. Actually, no storms or clouds were in sight.

"Is that it?" Allura asked confusingly, looking through her scope at the island in the distance.

"It must be." Lance took out his compass that was pointing towards the direction of the island. The compass wasn't an ordinary one, enchanted by pixie magic to point toward the direction of the thing you wish for. It was undoubtedly pointing towards the island they were looking at.

"It can't be, there are no clouds to hide it. It seems to be an ordinary island." Allura frowned, turning to Lance, "Perhaps the effects of the pixie magic ran out? We'll need to renew it when we visit the markets again."

"No..." Lance breathed out, eyes on the island, examining it with great precision. He felt a warm wave of wind wash over him, comforting him in it's wake. He could hear the quiet whispers around him, letting him know that this was the thing he had been searching for so long.

This was it.

This was the island they were looking for.

"We're sailing towards it." He stood up, holding onto the rope, "If it's the cursed island, then we'll steal the riches, and if it's not then we'll see what the island has to offer. Either way, we benefit." He slid down, yelling commands to fasten the ship.

Allura joined him, hurriedly walking up to the wheel, gaining control of the ship. She aimed at the island, eyes fiery as she looked ahead at the island before them. It was a land of mystery, one they were about to make their enemy. Setting foot into the unknown, that was part of the adventure of being a pirate. She was frightened, but her sense of adventure was there to pull her along to it's direction.

"Pull down the sails! We need to pick up on the wind!" Lance yelled while both Pidge and Hunk got to work, running down to the main deck to attend to their tasks.

"Oh my! This is unbelievable!" Coran stood on the edge, looking out at the island with wide eyes. "Could it be that a creature was really guarding the island? What if it decided to leave? What if it was killed by a mightier beast?"

"We'll have to find out when we get there." Allura spoke up, eyes set on the target.

The riches will be theirs. They'll finally see what the infamous cursed island has to offer.

 

* * *

 

Tributes to gods often involved a lot more social interaction than Keith was comfortable with, but the feasting was nice. The mer, in particular, had beautiful rituals to share, and while they had to adjust to taking part in those rituals above water or in the lagoons, they still made the effort to include Keith and his brother.

Shiro, in particular, was always invited by Luxia to try his hand at participating in a sort of ritual dance with her since he was more adjusted to the water. Though he couldn't breath beneath the surface so Luxia was forced to try and lead him in a mer's dance with their heads above the water. It was always a mess, and even now Keith couldn't help but laugh as he watched the two struggled.

Beside him, a red mer named Florona sat perched on the low hanging branch, her tail just barely twirling in the water, a mango clenched firmly in her hands as she watched the other mer dance enviously. Keith felt bad for her, the damaged tail she supported guaranteeing that she couldn't make the complex moves involved in the dance, a terrible fate for a non-hunting mer like her.

Keith took a bite of his own mango, taking comfort in the fact that someone chose to sit quietly and watch with him instead of taking part in other activities. Some mer simply chose not to dance right now, instead feasting or taking comfort in silent conversation. Others had already brought sacrifices of woodcarvings or shells to the alter of the ocean god, leaving prayers and singing hymns of worship in their honour. Younger mer had gathered to play a strange sort of game beneath the shallower pools of the lagoon, darting quickly beneath the surface after some ball.

The raven headed boy closed his eyes and hummed in content, feeling the tug of approval in the back of his mind, the ocean was pleased today. Keith stretched his wings, working out the knotted muscles in his back as he let the stress melt from his shoulders, pleased that they'd made the deity happy today. It was good to keep certain god's favour, and with mer on the island the ocean god was someone they _had_  to keep pleased. Knowing that they were safe with it's blessing for now comforted Keith greatly.

Pleased whisperings played in Keith's ear, and he could almost feel a thousand eyes watch him in approval. The million echoing voices of the ocean whispered to him, ' _Good, child, good_.'

Keith hummed.

' _A dance, child_.' The ocean's million voices cooed, ' _A dance for us_.'

"There's already a dance." Keith blinked open his eyes, staring at the dancing forms of the mer bellow. Florona hear him, and glanced over at the pale boy in concern, aware of his particular gifts and what must be happening.

' _Your dance, child_.' The voices cooed again, ' _A sun child's dance_.'

Keith frowned. It was certainly an unusual request form the ocean, who was usually content with the dances of the creatures that dwelled within it's body, but who was he to deny the request? He stood, stretching his wings and ascending to a higher and broader branch, and danced.

He could feel the mer stop to stare.

But Keith danced anyway, twisting his body in the way only it could, bare feet tapping and twisting against the wooden perch as he moved. He had no fine jewellery or silk scarves like before, but he danced anyway. It was an important thing, his dance, and it brought the sun's attention where ever he may go.

Was the ocean courting the sun's favour?

Keith didn't think about it, he simply danced.

He didn't stop until he hear a panicked cry. Blinking to himself, he stopped and turned towards the sight of a frantic guard swimming the lagoons towards the party, his face set in stone as he interrupted the celebration. He stopped at the edge of their pool, standing tall as he announced his new, "Sailors at the western most shore! They are set on our island."

Everything and everyone froze.

A feeling of dread and horror spiked through the party, and it didn't take long for more guards and hunters to gather and start swimming into formations, grabbing spears and harpoons as they went. Shiro, who'd looked _so relaxed_  as he enjoyed the dance, threw himself onto the shore, taking off into a run as soon as his feet hit the ground. Keith could feel the electricity in the air as his brother's form shifted, the man leaping into the air as a giant bird took shape and beat it's thunderous wings, already bringing the storm clouds where once was blue skies.

Keith couldn't help but feel this was unnecessary panic, the sailors would never survive Baku. The raven haired boy grumbled, turning towards Florona with a tired sigh, "I'll be right back."

With that said, the boy transformed.

 

* * *

 

"We're very close! I can already see the palm trees in the distance!" Pidge yelled from the top of the ship, Rover flying off her shoulder to hover above the ship. The waves were calm, incredibly so, and it made Lance uneasy. He's never seen such calm waters before, and it truly felt as if they were docking at a port, protected by stone from the ferocious waves.

This, however, wasn't a port. It was open sea, and waves this calm were abnormal. He closed his eyes, trying to listen, to feel the sea. He sensed something mischievous within it, yet also it's delight at his presence as well. It was as if the sea itself wanted them to come to the island.

"Good." But he wouldn't let that throw him off course. They were getting on the island, no matter the circumstance.

"Young lads! I would just like to point out that we're dangerously close to the cursed island. We need to settle on a plan on how we'll move forward from this point onwards." Coran was cautious, fully aware of the risks they were all facing.

Both Lance and Allura turned to face him, intent on listening closely. "We know the mer inhabit this island. There is a whole colony of them living on the island and it's shores. As far as the mer go, the island is a paradise for them." Allura was vary, relaying the knowledge she possessed.

"Same here." Lance agreed, "As far as I know, only the mer live here." The thought made him grin, "And among them is my mistress."

Allura averted her eyes, massaging her temple, "You're a fool. You'll only get yourself killed if you try to befriend the mer, let alone try to court one."

"What's that?" Lance put a hand up to his ear, "Is that jealousy I hear? Could it be that you finally see me in that way?"

The female pirate grumbled, deciding to ignore Lance's idiocy and focus on the island. As soon as her blue eyes turned towards it, she spotted a black dot in the distance, shooting up into the blue sky. "D-Do you see that?" She asked in bafflement, dark clouds slowly forming around the island as soon as she pointed towards it.

"Huh?" Lance and Coran squinted their eyes, trying to spot the object among the growing number of dark clouds. "I don't see anything."

"Oh no..." Coran's eyes widened, petrified as he stood on the edge, looking at the clouds, "If the clouds are forming, it must mean that it's not a natural event. There's someone creating these clouds with the intention to hide the island."

"So the mer aren't the only ones on the island?" Lance asked in surprise.

"It appears so." Coran confirmed his fears, Lance immediately taking off, aiming to reach his cabin.

"Where are you going?"

"To get something." He didn't waste time to jump down onto the main deck, opening the door of the captain's cabin both he and Allura shared. Because there were in a constant fight over who is the captain-Wait, scratch that. The details didn't matter.

He reached out into his drawer, taking a single bag of white powder that was in it. Fairy dust. Even though fairies were small creatures, their magic was quite powerful. The smaller the creature is, the deadlier it's magic or poison is. Scorpions are also a prime example of this because the smaller they are, the deadlier their venom is.

The Blue Lion suddenly shook, knocking Lance off his feet and making him fall down onto the floor. He felt the presence of a dangerous creature right under them, lurking and waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Waaa!"

"H-Help!"

"What is this!?"

He heard the cries of his crew, heart beating as he stood up, bursting through the door and onto the main deck. His eyes widened as soon as he spotted a massive snake like creature, the upper part of it's body peeking high above them and over the water. It was large in size, a massive portion of it's body still submerged.

Coran shook in fear, eyes wide as he looked at the creature, "Baku..." His voice was low, as quiet as a whisper as he muttered it. Then he turned, pointing at it, "I-It's Baku! A massive sea serpent!"

"Baku?" Lance repeated, spotting Pidge up on the lookout tower, tangled in the ropes.

"H-Help! I'm stuck!" She yelled, Rover flying around her to alert others that she was in danger.

" _Quak! Help! Help_!"

"I'm coming Pidge!" Lance ran up to one of the ropes, knowing fully well that if he climbed up, then he'd take forever to reach her. Instead, he cut the rope beside it, and suddenly the rope he was holding onto flew up, pulling him along with it. He jumped onto wood as soon as he was on the top, close to Pidge.

"Waaa!"

Baku didn't make it any easier for them, ferociously hitting the Blue Lion while roaring loudly.

Allura grumbled, holding onto the wheel to steady herself. "H-Hold on girl." She pat the wood of the wheel, holding onto it tightly, "Hold on..."

As Allura tried to steady the ship, Lance took out his gun, sprinkling some of the fairy dust onto it before closing the bag and attaching it onto his belt. He took aim for Baku's eye, a weakness he knew the giant snake had. He took the shot, managing to hit his target.

The massive creature gave a pained cry, thrashing around as Lance took another shot. He tried to aim at the other eye, and as soon as he had a clear aim, he took it, shooting. Baku roared once more, slowly sinking under the sea as it let go of the Blue Lion. Water was splashed all over them and suddenly... everything was dead quiet.

The quietness they found themselves in was frightening, thunder roaring loudly in the distance where the island once was. They couldn't even see the volcano now, fully covered in dark clouds all around it.

Lance panted, eyes on the spot where the Baku had sunk. Pidge took the opportunity to free herself of the ropes, managing to untangle herself now that the danger was gone. "Thanks." She turned to her captain. "That was close."

"It was." Lance agreed. "We better get down now. More creatures may be lurking within the sea." The deep blue was hiding many dangerous secrets within. Both the good and the evil, and Lance knew that more than anyone else on this ship.

"We're all gonna die!" Hunk began pacing around in panic, biting his fingernails as he approached the descending Lance and Pidge, "We're doomed! We'll turn into cosmic dust! The mer won't appreciate us killing their pet! We're done for! We're-"

"Hunk!" Both Lance and Pidge yelled at the same time. "We got it."

The larger pirate blinked, shaking in place, "I want to go home."

"And we are." Lance confirmed, jumping back to where Allura was at the wheel. "We're not prepared for this. We came here expecting to find mer but we didn't know there would be other creatures around. We should retreat and then come back when we're fully prepared."

"I agree. We're turning around." Allura swung the wheel fully to the left, making it turn sharply to the side to turn around.

"Thank god!" Hunk rejoiced, "I'm glad you're _finally_  listening to me."

"If we listened to you all the time then we wouldn't amount to anything." Pidge huffed, looking at the sea as if expecting something to jump at them again, "We wouldn't have half the things we have now."

"You don't know that." Hunk folded his arms, "I bet we'd have many meals to last us a lifetime and-"

"Guys!" Coran called out, "I believe we're not safe just yet!" He pointed at the distance, spotting a giant black bird dangerously close to them. The bird was large, charged with electricity as it flew towards them. The air felt electrifying, a frightening thought when they were this close to the water.

"T-That's...." Coran froze in place, the mere size of the creature surprising them all. Lance looked up at it in disbelief, reaching out to shake Coran's arms.

"Coran! What is that!? What do we do!?" He asked in hopes their supernatural expert would have the answer to their situation. However, all Lance received in reply was Coran gasping, looking up at the bird with petrified eyes. "Coran! Snap out of it!" Lance tried but without success. The elder pirate was out of it, standing in place as he shook at the sight of the massive bird.

In the presence of the creature, the sea became rough, swinging the ship as if it was a toy within it's grasp.

"T-That..." Hunk and Pidge both froze as well, looking up at the creature with wide eyes. Although Pidge did take out her gun and began shooting, aiming at the bird. Her bullet would have hit but due to the electricity that was around it, the bullet was easily deflected. Flying off course as a puny little piece of metal it was.

Clenching his teeth, Lance took aim as well, aiming for the bird's wing. He pulled the trigger, managing to hit the tip of the wing . The creature seemed surprised, screaming out in pain as the fairy dust enhanced bullet hit it. Good! This was the distraction they needed!

"Allura!"

"I know!" The female pirate moved the wheel again, turning them away from the massive bird that now flew higher above the sea. The chances of them escaping were low but they would be damned if they didn't fall fighting.

Just as they had the slightest ray of hope that they could manage to run away, fireballs suddenly began raining down on them, enlightening the Blue Lion in flames. The crew screamed as the flames fell. It only took a second for all the sails to set ablaze, burning in the ugly crimson red that Lance hated. "B-Blue!" He looked up, his breath knocked out of his lungs as soon as he spotted a second bird.

The second bird was engulfed in flames, it's wings flapping above them as it burned ferociously, engulfing both them and their ship in flames.

"Abort! Abort! Get off the ship!" Allura yelled, pulling Coran along with her as they jumped down into the sea. There were some attempts being made by few to put out the flames but since the fire was so intense, there was no way they would be able to diminish them.

The firebird had no mercy, raining another wave of fire upon them. This was the time when Lance jumped down as well, the entire crew now under the water. Lance watched in horror as the Blue Lion began to sink, fire put down as it sank into the depths of the water.

It was heartbreaking to see, just like a sharp knife that stabbed at his heart. Blue sank lower and lower, but Lance didn't have the time to watch, quickly looking up to see the red of the firebird above them over the sea. No good. They'll have to swim up for air but with the firebird there... could they?

His eyes moved to look at the rest of his crew, scattered all around the sea where they jumped off. He began looking at each of their faces, trying to see if there were any causalities. Luckily all of his crew was accounted for, at least that's what he managed to make out before some of them began to surface for air.

Oh no....

He swam upwards, joining his comrades but freezing in place as soon as he heard a familiar sound. The flapping of a tail.... The water was dark all around them, except for the spot they were in that was enlightened by the fire of the firebird above.

Then he saw them, the mer.

They swam towards him and his crew with great speed, pulling their legs as they submerged them into the sea once again. Lance watched in horror as some snatched his crew away, pulling them towards the island with great speed.

He spotted a male mer grab Allura's leg, alarm bells ringing within his mind as he swam towards it. The mer was just about to swim away when Lance kicked the side of it's face, managing to make him let go of Allura's leg. The female pirate panicked, eyes meeting Lance's own as they began looking around for the rest of their crew.

Allura spotted Hunk to the side, swimming up to him to help him fight the mer. She and Hunk both struggled while Lance swam over to help Pidge get rid of her attacker.

Then it happened.

A sweet melody resonated throughout the water, both alluring and calm at once. Lance froze in place, eyes on the now motionless Pidge. She didn't move at all, despite the fact that a mer was holding her right hand, pulling her towards itself while Lance tried to kick it away. He succeeded but as he turned to look at Allura, he shivered in fear when he spotted a small glimpse of both her and Hunk being pulled away by the mer.

The sea was empty now, a group of mer surrounding him as the song echoed throughout the water. The mer seemed surprised, looking at each other in puzzlement while Lance held onto Pidge tightly. They were now fully surrounded and while Pidge didn't move a muscle, he knew that she needed air immediately. It didn't help that the firebird was lurking from above, as if watching them under the water.

Lance panicked as the mer neared, surrounding them and preventing any escape.

Not good.

Then two mer leaped at them, gabbing Pidge's free arm while the other held Lance from behind, trying to subdue him. "How are you not allured by our song?" The male mer asked, baffled.

Not intent on answering the question, Lance kicked the mer with force, managing to get it off him. To his horror, the mer managed to snatch Pidge away from him, pulling her away into the black where they dragged everyone else.

Alone, Lance faced the mer with narrowed eyes, breathing out the air he was holding within his mouth. There was no way he would be able to beat all of these mer. That's why the best way for him to survive this was to escape.

As the mer prepared another attack, Lance dodged, diving under with speed before swimming away.

"He's quick!" A mer remarked, the group intent on chasing Lance who swam towards the dark. He had to find everyone else. He had to- He felt a sudden pull at his leg, a hand pulling him down before he felt pain against his shoulder. His eyes widened when he saw a spear that pierced through him, blood coming out and merging with the sea water.

He felt his body weaken now, the mer flocking him as he tried to fight them.

Not good... Not... His punches were weak, and his vision was blurring by the second. He gave up, the world around him dark as he felt the mer pull him away into the unknown.

 

* * *

 

The inhabitants of the island gather with their prisoners after the battle, in the cove where the lagoons ran into the ocean shores, where the mer built their homes into the shallow waters within the safety of the shore. Luxia sat tall upon her carved throne, triton in hand, watching as the guards and hunters gathered with the unconscious sailors into the cove's waters.

The firebird watched as the mer gathered, aiming to land on a nearby, low-hanging, branch over the sudden drop of the cliff, sitting lazily past the edge. Keith shifted, letting his body change and morph back into pale flesh and raven hair, his bare feet landing against the thick branch. Behind him, Shiro was a bit slower to land, hitting the cliff gently with a struggle.

Keith hopped down from the tree branch, landing next to his brother, unchanged from his giant form. He feels so small next to Shiro when he's like this, and it feels strange to see someone _so strong_  and powerful, a literal force of nature, clipped this way.

"Let me heal this." Keith reaches for his brother's wing, the large bird turning to look at him as his pale hands touched the clip wings, and Shiro was wise enough to let his younger brother do what he must. Keith touched the wing, felt the wound, a small scratch, but filled with powerful poison. Pixie magic, strong magic, but Keith was far more powerful than them. He breathed into the wound, letting a white fire burn clean over the feather, they wouldn't hurt Shiro or his feathers, not without Keith's permission, but the Pixie magic was done for.

Keith pulled away, letting a satisfied huff as the remains of magic burned away.

Shiro moved then, shrinking as he shifted back to his human form, the feathers melting away into flesh and hair and skin. His older brother pushed himself up, groaning as he cracked his neck, "Thanks Keith."

"No problem." Keith muttered softly, moving to help Shiro stand, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Shiro mutters, flexing his injured arm, "It was just a nick. That guy had a lucky shot though."

"Too skilled for a common sailor." Keith hummed.

"You know what that means." Shiro sighed, his eyes flickering towards the Cliffside, "We should get down there, Luxia will want us to be there. Mind carrying me down?"

Keith shook his head, not bothering to reply, he just moved to the edge of the cliff and turned to wait for his brother's leap. The older man stretched for a moment, rolling his shoulders, before getting a running start and taking the leap.

Keith jumped after him, spreading his wings out as he dived after his brother, catching Shiro under his armpits and pulling back, his red wings flapping as he halted his decent. He glided towards the cover, aiming for the seat next to Luxia's throne. The mer, who must have been waiting for them, looked up and watched as the two brothers descended into the seats next to the Queen.

"Luxia." Shiro greeted, settling into the makeshift throne, "Were any of our number hurt?"

"Shiro, it does my heart good to see you well." Luxia greeted with a nodded before turning to Keith, who landed on her other side. "You as well Keith. It would be a travesty if anything were to harm you."

There was muttering among the gathered mer. The unconscious prisoners held firmly in several mer's grasps, their heads lulling in inattention. There were quite a few, though the most finely dressed once were brought forward to the front, and a nearby mer was struggling with a small bird that squawked loudly and tried to fly away, "Danger! Danger!"

Violet eyes found themselves drawn to a particular prisoner, a tanned one with short brown hair. There was something about him, a nagging sense in the back of Keith's head. There was _something_  supernatural about him, something that felt like it belonged to the sea, but Keith couldn't be certain what. He felt... strangely familiar in a way, like something Keith had seen before.

The raven haired boy closed his eyes, trying to work through hazy memories of his past lives, trying to find something that reminded him of the prisoner lulling loosely in the mer's grasp.

"Report." Luxia commanded as she turned to face the mer gathered, unintentionally interrupting Keith's thoughts.

"My Queen." The head guard brought his fist to his chest in salute, bowing is head towards them, "My Lord. Your Divinity. We have taken all the sailors prisoner. Our hunters have checked the remains of their ship, and we've found they may, indeed, be pirates."

"Then they could have only come for one thing." Luxia hummed, sharing a meaningful look with Shiro, a look Keith knew very well.

"Were any of our number hurt?" Shiro asked, turning towards the gathered mer.

"The great Baku was hit with a bullet that was filled with Pixie Dust." A mermaid replied, holding up a metal shell, "Our healers are seeing to him now. We've had to use one of the feathers His Divinity gave us."

"Poor thing." Luxia looked mournful. Not that Keith blamed her, she'd raised Baku herself after Shiro caught him on a hunt when the serpent was a babe. She was closest of all to the monster, and Keith had no doubts she would be going to see him in the gardens once this trail was over.

"No other of our number were hurt." Another guard spoke up, "Other than your Lordship."

"I've been healed." Shiro waved off the concern.

"This one." The mermaid shook the strange boy, "Is resistant to our songs."

That caught their attention.

"That certainly is not good." Luxia's grip on her trident tightened, her knuckles turning white under the strain of her grip, "Send that one to the dungeons, we need to investigate this matter."

"Are you sure Luxia?" Shiro asked, turning to face the Queen, "I'm not one for senseless murder, but it might just be easier to kill him."

"We need to find out why he's resistant." Luxia shook her head, "And why he has become a pirate. If creatures resistant to our songs are starting to enter these waters with criminals and hunters than our shoal may be in danger."

"We'll protect you." Keith reminded the Queen, "You're not in the sea anymore, you don't need to worry about other shoals taking advantage of this."

Luxia shook her head, "I would still like to know."

"I won't fight you on this." Shiro shrugged, turning away, "But what should we do with the rest of the pirates in the meantime?"

"The same as always." Luxia's voice was even, "Your rules, Lord Shiro, we take them prisoner on the island. If they try to escape or harm us we feed them to Baku."

Keith hummed as Luxia brought her trident up and slammed the base to the ground, calling an end to the makeshift trial. Keith stood, stretching his limbs and wings, cracking his neck as he turned to leave and rejoin the interrupted celebration. He'd no doubt see the prisoners later, when they started running around the island trying to figure out what was going on. He'd no doubt see the strange one when Luxia was ready to question him.

' _Child, child_.' The ocean's many voices cooed.

Keith paused.

' _Beautiful sun-child_.' The drowned voices screwed into his ear.

"What do you want?" Keith questioned them.

' _We are pleased child_.' The ocean answered, then went silent.

Keith stood in place for a second, waiting should the voices return. They weren't so he continued making his way to the celebration. He spared one more glance at the prisoners, watching as the mer took them away.

The sea said that it was pleased, but he didn't know why exactly. It must be due to their worship, Keith decided with a hum. Wanting to please the sea further, the celebrations continued.

 

* * *

 

The sand below was both cold and wet, uncomfortable for anyone to lay on. Yet Allura found herself laying unconsciously on the said sand, hand twitching as her eyes slowly began to open. She could feel the cold winds wash over her, making her shiver.

The first thing she saw was the orange sky above her, telling her that the sun was slowly beginning to set. Her mind was hazy and slow to recover but as soon as she remembered the terrifying glowing eyes of the mer, she quickly sat up.

She wrapped her hands around herself protectively, the glowing golden eyes haunting her even now that she wasn't in their presence. She felt the webbed hands on her, pulling her into the dark of the abyss. The water they pulled her towards was both cold and dark, the true meaning of nothingness.

She tried to fight these memories, push them aside to focus on what was important at the moment. "W-Where am I?" She muttered, looking around herself and realizing that she was on a beach. The sea was in front of her and behind her was a dense forest full of green. In the distance there was a volcano as well, sleeping dormant beyond the canopy of trees and palms.

The glowing eyes flashed before her again, her hands immediately covering her body. Hunk's terrified face flashed before her as well and suddenly she remembered watching as some of her crew was snatched away by the mer. They were quick, grabbing onto them as if they were nothing but mere toys. It was terrifying, something that will haunt for a long time.

She shook her head, gathering the courage she had to stand up. She turned away from the sea, looking ahead at the green. What happened to her crew? Did they drown? Were they killed? No... no... no...

"Lance!" She yelled loudly, some of the birds flying away in surprise when she did.

"Coran!" She tried again, yelling from the bottom of her lungs.

"Hunk!"

"Pidge!"

But there was no reply, apart from the flipping of the birds' wings as they flew away in startle.

She was alone to fend for herself. However, what terrified her the most was the fact that she had no idea what happened to everyone else. The possibility of them being drowned or eaten was high, but since she was taken away by the mer as well, it could be possible that the rest of her friends have found themselves in a similar predicament.

All of the options were on the table at the moment. She had to expect the worst and be prepared for it.

The island was vast and stretched into the distance. Dark clouds were surrounding them, confirming her belief that they were on the cursed island. She was on it but when she reunites with everyone else, could they really escape?

"No, you have to think positively." She told herself, slapping her cheeks lightly, "First things first, I have to find everyone else. Then we can all think about how we'll escape from this place." She had a plan, gaining on confidence as her blue eyes looked up at the forest again.

She made her way into the green, deciding to travel through it and find the rest of her crew. Although she was vary, knowing that the possibility of there being more creatures on the island was more than possible. If both the thunderbird and the firebird were on this island, then there could definitely be more creatures they didn't know about.

She walked and walked, at some point stopping on her way when she spotted a particularly sharp piece of wood. Deciding to utilize it for a spear, she broke the branch with the aim to use it as a weapon. It isn't mighty, but it could give her the time she needs to escape if something does attack her.

Hearing movement in the distance, Allura ducked, listening closely to the sound of bushes parting near her. She readied her wooden spear, ready to strike should the unknown presence find her.

The bushes moved, the sound of footsteps could be heard.

"A-Anyone there? Hello! Allura? Pidge? Lance?" Coran! Allura moved, a huge smile on her face as she ran up to him.

"Coran!" She emerged from the bush while the older man moved in startle, moving into a ridiculously silly fighting stance... And while usually Allura wouldn't appreciate it, she didn't care one bit about it at the moment. "I'm so glad to see you well and alive!" She ran up to him, embracing him tightly.

The older pirate was surprised at first but quickly relaxed, holding Allura tightly in his hold. "Oh I'm so glad to see you. I thought the mer had eaten you all. I thought you were all..."

"I thought the same thing." Allura slowly moved away, her smile dropping, "But we can't rule anything out at the moment. We still don't know what happened to everyone else. Until we find them, we cannot make baseless conclusions."

A cold wave washed over Coran. He was glad to have found Allura but at the same time he knew that he shouldn't celebrate just yet. "You're right." He nodded, "But what do we do? I remember being dragged by the mer into the sea but then... everything is hazy."

"I feel the same way." Allura agreed, "It is possible that the mer have captured us all but then set us free to roam the island." It would explain why both she and Coran were here. Unless they somehow escaped while unconscious but she doubts that is the case.

"What?" Coran quirked a brow, "But why would they do something like that?"

Allura leaned her chin against her hand in thought, "They're underestimating us." Her eyes narrowed, "We're only humans to them, defenceless and weak. They see no danger in us roaming the island freely, and since we're on an island, we're surrounded by the sea. We won't be able to escape without a boat or a ship."

"That does make sense." Coran noted. "Then if your theory is right, everyone else should be scattered around the island as well."

"Most likely." Allura bit her bottom lip, suddenly feeling a flame of anger flare up inside her. She looked up with fire in her eyes, gripping her makeshift spear tightly, "These creatures think they can underestimate both me and my crew. Such confidence will cost them their lives." Oh what arrogance. If they think they can play around with them just because they're 'puny humans' then they have another thing coming. "First we'll find the rest of our crew. We'll hide from both the mer and the birds and then strike when they least expect it. I'll teach them to underestimate both me and my family."

Allura took a step forward, fear thrown away as she focused on the task at hand. The arrogance these creatures displayed was the push she needed to take charge, throwing any doubt away to focus on getting them off this island. In the end, they will be the ones to triumph.

"Let's go Coran. We have to reunite with everyone else."

The older pirate smiled, still concerned, but pushed it aside in an attempt to remain strong. He had to be if they were going to find the rest of their family. "Right behind you princess." And so both Allura and Coran ventured through the forest in search of everyone else.

 

* * *

 

"Ugh..." Lance groaned, uncomfortable as he began regaining consciousness. His blue eyes slowly opened, and as the haziness slowly cleared, all he saw were dark rocks. The floor underneath him was hard as well, sitting up tiredly, feeling as if he'd been used as a punching bag by an angry mob.

He felt a massive headache hit him, holding onto his head with a hiss. Then he felt another wave of pain hit him, this time coming from his right shoulder.

The flashback of being pierced by a spear flashed before him, eyes widening in realization. He quickly took off the sleeve of his coat to examine the injury, only to see that there was none. What? He poked at the skin, feeling the pain shoot up to his brain. Okay, it definitely hurt, even though there was strangely no blood present.

"W-Where am I?" He asked himself, looking around his surroundings to notice coral bars lined up where the exit would be. Bars? He stood up shakily, walking up to it and grabbing it tightly between his hands. He tried to push it out, break it, anything, but the coral was as solid as real iron bars. They wouldn't budge.

However, apart from the bars, Lance noticed water on the other side of his supposed cell. It was like a small pathway through which the mer could swim to check on their prisoners. At least that's what Lance though it was.

His guess must have been right because soon he spotted a male mer swimming in the water with a spear in his hand, his eyes meeting Lance's own in surprise. As soon as the mer noticed he was awake, he quickly swam away, most likely to warn his fellow guards that he woke up.

The pirate grumbled, turning back to examine his cell. It was dark and had many rocks within as well. Although luckily there was sand as well, which made the place more bearable. There was something that caught Lance's attention, and that was the blue light that was reflecting off the top of the ceiling. The light was blue and Lance could clearly see the movement of water from the light above. Wait, water?

He quickly ran up to the spot, noticing a small circular opening in the ground with sea water in it. This must have been made for the mer to enter the cell if they needed to . However, for Lance it was an opportunity he needed. Grinning, he took off his blue coat, diving into the water.

The water below was much brighter than the dark cave above, and he could feel the salt water surround him on all sides. He let out a relieved hum but soon frowned when he noticed another set of coral bars underneath the water, right in the same spot where the ones at the top are.

Of course, the mer wouldn't be that stupid to put bars at the top but not at the bottom. Any prisoner could jump into the water and try to swim away. Although there was a miscalculation on their part. Lance noticed a lock on the bars, strengthened by powerful seaweed leaves to make sure no prisoner could escape through the bars in the water.

He was sure that if he played around with it enough that he would be able to break through. However, his train of thoughts was interrupted when he heard movement, the sound of two tails swimming towards him. He quickly swam back up to the top, emerging back at the top as he raised himself up onto the cold rock again.

Damn, it was cold.

He listened closely as the mer neared, and finally, two mer emerged from the water on the other side. One was the guard Lance spotted before and the other was a mermaid, curiously looking at him to see what state he was in. "You're right, he is awake." She told the guard who nodded in return.

"I believe he woke up a moment ago."

"Hmmm..." The mermaid hummed, "I'll let the queen know. Then we can begin questioning him."

"Question?" Lance perked up, his headache making him groan. Wait! The mer! The Blue Lion! The two birds! And his crew... They were all snatched away by the mer. As soon as he remembered, he clenched his fists, standing up as he walked up to the coral bars. "Where am I? Where is my crew!?"

The two mer looked at him, but not willing to answer. "I'm sorry, we can't answer any of your questions. You'll have to wait for-"

"I'm waiting for nothing! Where are my friends!?" He yelled loudly, his voice echoing throughout the dungeon. "Tell me where they are!"

"We should tell the queen." The mer ignored him, talking amongst themselves, "Then we can decide on the next course of action to take."

"I agree. Let's go." The two mer dived back into the water, swimming away to the direction they came from. Shit! Lance grabbed at the corals, trying to break them by any means necessary.

Where were they?

Hunk.

Allura.

Pidge.

Matt.

Coran.

Were they in other cells? What if they were... eaten? Lance froze in fear, both due to the frightening thought that his friends may have been eaten, their bones being chewed on by the mer or other creatures that lived on the island, and the coldness of the cave as well.

He shivered, holding onto the bars as he slid down onto his knees. No... Please no...

There was a loud clanking sound, a _familiar_  sound of bars opening. Lance eyes snapped up as a man,  _a human man_  slipped inside the cage. The pirate didn't recognize this man, but anyone that wasn't mer had to be a good sign, right?

Lance allowed a bit of hope to bloom in his stomach.

"So _you're_  awake then?" The man asked as he descended from outside the cell, "You were a fool to come here."

"Yeah, I got that much." Lance hummed. Alright, so the guy wasn't the _nicest_  guy in the world, but he was a human man trapped on an island full of mer. Heck, with the white hair, he'd bet the guy was stuck here a long time, "Coming to an infamously cursed island? Bad idea."

"Why would you even come here?" The man asked, crossing his arms.

"Look, buddy." Lance cast a glance back at the pool of water, "I understand you wanna scold me, but we need to get out of here before the mer get back. My friends and the rest of my crew are out there, and I need to find them before they get eaten."

"Most of your crew is fine," The man stated simply. Then he paused, "That's a lie, five members of your crew are fine, the rest were foolish enough for assault the inhabitants of this island and were fed to Baku."

Lance felt his blood turn to ice.

" _Fuck_." He hissed, brushing both hands through his hair, "Why would they do that? What do they want with us?"

"They wanted to be left alone." The man shrugs, "That's why the island is so heavily guarded. You ruined that, and now you and your crew are prisoners here."

"So we got arrested just for coming to the island?" Lance laughed, though it wasn't hiding his sudden spike of stress _at all_ , "That's _so fucking stupid_."

"I don't want to hear that from a pirate." The man glared heavily at land, and it suddenly occurred to the brunette that the man may have been a sailor on a merchant ship, or navy, back before the islands curse was known, "Let me hazard a guess as to why you came here. You wanted to find the island's treasure?"

"Ummm..." Lance found himself in a box, scratching the back, "That's...half right."

"The mer will never let you go." The man shook his head, "Even when they let you out of the cells and you're free to roam the island, you'll still be trapped here for the rest of your days. We love our treasure too much to risk him by letting you go."

Lance froze.

Trapped here? Forever? He supposed that was better than being outright eaten, but forever? He didn't want that. He wanted to be out there, on the ocean, free to sail the waves like he was always meant to. He had to reason with the mer; get them to see he was no threat. Lance needed to convince them that the rest of his crew were no threat to them and wouldn't try to take their treasure.

Gods, he hoped his friends were alright. How many of them had the man said were left? Six? That was just enough to fit his close friends. Maybe it was selfish, but he hoped they were the one that were left. Hunk, at least, he was fairly certain wouldn't assault anyone.

Wait... We? Him?

"You're one of them?" Lance realized, dropping his hands from his hair, "You're with the mer."

"I am." The man nodded, "I'm the one who convinced them to imprison people rather than immediately feed them to Baku."

"Why are you with them?" Lance couldn't help but ask, "If they hate humans...if they want people away from the island...why are _you_  with them? Didn't they capture you too?"

"No." The man shook his head, "I am not human."

Lance froze. "Are... Are you a hybrid?"

"No." The man shook his head again, "I am something else."

"Then why are you with them?" Lance asked, needed to know, "Mer are infamously isolationist; why would they let you stay here?"

" _I_  let _them_  stay here." The man shrugged, "I've become fond of them and generally let them do as they please. If you want them to let you go so you can see your friends again, then I suggest you answer their questions. The other members of your crew are already roaming the island."

Lance stepped closer to the man, holding onto the bars as he glared up at him, "Does that mean they answered all of your questions then?"

"They did." The man confirmed, "They were _very_  cooperative."

The air between them was heavy and Lance had no idea whether he should believe the man or not. At first he thought he was an ally but it turns out he's an enemy in the end. Could he really trust an enemy's words? Absolutely not. His life as a pirate has taught him that much.

"Then I suppose that you won't let me go out of the kindness of your heart? You did say that you convinced the mer not to kill people." He tried his luck, eyes never leaving the man's own, "I'm sure my friends already told you everything you needed to know."

The man glared, not showing any signs of giving in before turning to the side. "The queen will personally come to question you herself. I suggest you behave and treat her with respect." And with that, he slowly walked away.

"Is that a threat!?" Lance yelled, the man ignoring him as he closed the door behind him, the clicking of the metal confirming that he really left.

Great. Now he was alone again. However, he did learn that apart from the mer, there were other creatures lurking around the island. But what could the mysterious man be? An illusion? A shape shifter? There were a lot of possibilities...

All of a sudden the door opened again and Lance listened to the sound of multiple splashes in the water. The mer were coming.

It didn't take them long to surface, appearing right in front of his cell. The pirate watched curiously as four mer appeared this time. Two mermaids and two guards. The mermaid in the middle was wearing a golden crown as well, and Lance could immediately tell that it was the queen. Not only by the crown but also by the trident she was holding.

"You're finally awake." She was the first one to speak up, "My name is Luxia and I am the queen of the mer living on this island. You will address me by my title as I question you about your purpose here."

Lance hummed, kneeling down so that he was on the same eye level as the mer. "I got lost. Do you have a map? I think I'm getting lost again in your eyes."

The guards raised their spears dangerously close, pointing them towards Lance's neck. "You will treat the queen with respect, otherwise we'll cut your throat open."

The pirate remained in place, still as the queen glared at him. "Let's start again, shall we?" She motioned for the guards to lower their weapons, turning to Lance fully. "Now then, why did you come here?"

And so the questioning began...

And they talked...

For about two hours now...

But without any success on the queen's side.

"Why I'm immune to your song? That's simple, because I covered my ears." Lance answered the nth question the mer asked, a grin on his face as the mer glared at him in irritation.

"Liar! I checked! You had nothing in your ears! And I know that you weren't covering your ears at the time! Even if you were, there's no way you wouldn't be affected by our song!" A mermaid that came with Luxia yelled, clenching her hand into a fist, her knuckles white with the force she used on it.

"Really? Hmmm... You're right." Lance answered simply, Luxia hissing in irritation.

"Enough already! You didn't answer a single question we've asked thus far human! Do you really wish to die?" Luxia raised her voice, a rare occurrence for someone as cold and calm as her.

"Threatening to kill someone isn't attractive at all." The brunette huffed, "I really thought you'd be more understanding as a queen but it looks like I was wrong." He sat up from his spot on the ground, patting down his pants, "I have no interest in answering any more of your questions. Consider our first date a total failure."

"How dare!" Luxia hit the coral bars with her trident, "You do not get to decide when the questioning ends! I AM the queen! And I decide when we finish!"

Lance ignored her yells, settling himself onto a rock that was near the pond in his cell.

"You _will_  listen to me! Do you really want to be eaten by our Baku!?"

"Shut up." The pirate hissed, "I've faced many stubborn women in my life but you're so far the worst one I've encountered." He turned to glare at her with narrowed eyes, the blue colour of his eyes now dark with something akin to anger, "Too bad, I really thought you'd be different. But in the end, you turned out to be a cold, merciless, killer. I have no interest in talking to someone like you."

This time the guards hit the bars with force, anger evident in their actions, "Human scum! We will throw you to the Baku at once!"

"Whatever." Lance decided to ignore them, "I don't care so shut up. I want to sleep." Killing him would be the easiest thing for them to do. He had hoped to find love on the island but so far it gave him anything but love. He attempted to befriend the queen and the three other mer that came with her but they were insistent, asking questions instead of talking with him like a human being. _Wait_ , they weren't human. But still, they didn't have the one thing that everyone should have, and that is at least a drop of compassion.

The mermaid beside Luxia hissed, and when the queen placed her hand on her shoulder, she ceased her growls. "You're lucky that you have something we want. Information as to how you evaded our song." Luxia's tone was low as she spoke, "If it weren't for that, you would have been the first we'd throw to Baku. We will get what we want and you'll cooperate with us." She made that clear, "No food or water until you decide to answer all of our questions. The next time we come, I hope you won't bore us with useless chatter."

Lance didn't even turn around to look at them as they submerged themselves, swimming away and closing the door of the dungeon behind them. He sighed in relief when they finally left, relishing the quietness he was left in.

He sat up, looking down at the water beside him. It was time he got to work.

Lance took off his long blue coat before diving into the water, hands reaching out to touch the lock of his cell. It was locked but with the right tools, he'll be able to unlock it. Looking around himself, Lance spotted a crab that was walking along the walls of the rock. Perfect. He swam towards it, taking the crab gently in his hand before swimming back to the lock.

He used the crab's pincers to try and unlock his cell, being careful as to not hurt the crab in any way. Listening closely to his surroundings, he couldn't make out any sounds of swimming tails or any movement of a larger animal. Good, the coast was clear.

When constructing the cell, the mer must have strengthened the top bars while leaving the ones under the water fairly easy to open so that they could access the cell easily if they needed to.

_Clink!_

Lance perked up, smiling when the lock opened, the door of the bars opening widely. Yes! He did it! After thanking the crab and giving him a high five, he placed his little companion down, thanking him before working on pushing the seaweed out of the way.

The one thing the mer didn't count on was for him to be able to breathe under the water. Hah! Too bad for them.

Although now that he was free, Lance knew he had to make it count. If he escapes and they manage to capture him again, he knows that he'll be thrown to the Baku without a question.

Warily and cautiously, he swam out, looking around as he made his way to the large metal doors. He opened them to peek out, spotting the wide ocean on the other side. Perfect. Nobody was around.

Judging by how dark the water was, it must be nighttime as well.

After checking that the coast was clear, Lance swam out and into the sea quickly, feeling the water flow around him contently. He closed his eyes, listening to the whispers of the sea. He could hear the dolphins in the distance, their sounds mixing with those belonging to the whales.

Contrary to popular belief, dolphins weren't friendly with the mer, and neither were the whales. If there were creatures that the mer did associate with, they were small fishes, but even then they would hunt them for lunch. Shaking his head, Lance swam towards the dolphins, knowing that the best chance he had at escaping to the other side of the island was for the dolphins to help him.

He swam and swam, finally spotting the playful creatures in the distance. He smiled, swimming closer towards them, the dolphins noticing him quickly. They let out a worried sound, communicating amongst one another as to who the intruder was.

Lance calmed himself, closing his eyes as he let the dolphins swim around him. It didn't take long for the dolphins to understand who he was, nuzzling close to his chest. They would _never_  do something like this with a mer, never.

"I need to get to the other side of the island. Will you help me?" He asked, the dolphins letting out a sound of agreement. It will help him in avoiding the mer as well since they preferred to stay away from the dolphins as far as possible.

It was a natural rivalry they had going on between them, competing for food and other resources as well. That is not to say that some mer don't decided to venture out and try to communicate with the dolphins. He wasn't safe just yet. Although he hoped that since it was night, nobody would be around.

"Don't go to the surface. Stay submerged." Lance let the dolphins know as they began swimming to the other side of the island. They'll leave him there so that he can be far away from the mer as possible. He'll hide in the forest and search for his remaining crew that way.

He just hopes he'll be able to get to them before it's too late.

 

* * *

 

Keith hummed, perched again on his branch above the celebration, though it was much less lively now that there had been intruders to their island. Pirate intruders at that, which was always trouble. The sunshine was certainly gone, lone passed as night settled on them, and the storm Shiro had summoned may have been smaller than normal, but it was certainly gathering the rains and lightening it would need to be a proper storm.

Shiro would likely make an outright hurricane once the prisoners found the shelters the last few prisoners had built...before they'd tried to escape.

The prisoners always tried eventually, despite Shiro's best efforts to keep them relatively alive and fed out of some sense of guilt or moral obligation, and they always died. Either they tried something with the mer, or they tried to build a ship, or maybe they even tried to swim, but they always died no matter how skilled their fighting prowess or sailing. There were ten guards for every pirate that had been on that ship, and that wasn't mentioning hunters, civilians, Baku, the storm, Shiro and himself.

They died quickest once they tried to touch him.

Keith shook off the worry. Within the hours of capturing the pirates twenty had already died. Three had tried to swim away from the island, the fools, only to have the freshly healed Baku devour them whole. The pale boy felt no sympathy for those fools, they were very specifically warned what would happen. Another ten attacked the mer, which had gotten them speared and fed to Baku as well, and Keith had even _less_  pity form _them_.

Seven had made a grab for him.

Keith fluffed his wings, spreading out the limbs as he took off, suddenly not feeling up to pretending the party was still anything more than the mer huddling together and waiting for the rest of the prisoners to be stupid enough to die.

The raven haired boy broke through the tree line, aiming to a spot a few feet above to he could circle the island and spot the prisoners. From his position, he could vaguely make out a deeply tanned, bigger boned, prisoner nervously moving around the cost line. Out of sight, on a different part of the shore, he could make out two more huddling together near some of the huts previous prisoners had constructed. He couldn't spot the rest, but Keith could bet they were within the forest. Then, of course, there was the prisoner in the dungeons.

They hadn't spotted him yet.

Colourful wings flapped as he moved towards the lone figure. The pirate seemed more cautious and wisely fearful than his companions, and he might actually listen to him when Keith approached. It would certainly help these prisoners survive if _one of them_  would listen to the laws of the island. Not that Keith expected much of pirates, regular sailors maybe, but pirates tended to be cutthroat raiders in his experience.

Still, they at least deserved a chance. That's what Shiro thought at least.

Keith landed a few feet behind the bigger man and was about to speak when something interrupted him.

' _He flees, child_.' The thousand voices of the ocean whispers, ' _He flees_.'

"Who?" Keith asked, causing the pirate to give a loud yelp and turn on him with panicked eyes.

"H-H-Hello?" The man stuttered, squinting his eyes narrowly as he tried to make out Keith's form under the darkness, "Are you friendly? _Please_  tell me you're friendly."

"Hold on." Keith held up a hand, tilting his head toward the ocean, "Who flees?"

"What?" The man asked, confused, "I'm not trying to run away right now. I just want to find my friends."

' _He swims the waters child_.' The ocean whispers, ' _He breaths_.'

The prisoner, of course.

"Your foolish friend is going to get himself killed if I don't try to stop him." Keith sighed, resting his fist on his hips, he let fire spread across his wings, lighting up the darkness around him with the power of his flames, opening the startled pirate's eyesight to who his new companion was. The man's eyes went  _wide_  and fearful for a moment as he moved to back away.

"I'll make this quick." Keith sighed, turning towards the startled man, "We're not going to kill you, not unless you give us reason to. We're not strict, but we have rules on this island."

Keith held up his finger, "First, don't attack the mer. If you do than we kill you. We have far more mer than you have men right now, I don't care how skilled you are, you'll die. We already confiscated all you weapons too."

The bigger man nodded.

"Second." Keith held up another finger, "Don't try to escape. The waters are against you, you have no ship, this island is covered in creatures that don't want you to leave, you have no weapons, and Baku likes to eat human flesh."

The man gulped fearfully.

"Third, and this is most important, don't attack me." Keith turned to stare the man in the eye. "This isn't a personal rule, this is a warning, the creatures on this island are _very_  protective of me, and there is _no_  second chance if you harm me. There's nothing I can do to stop them. Do you understand?"

The man nodded, gulping nervously.

"Good." Keith nodded, "There are shelters already built on the island, plenty of fish in the sea, and plenty of fruit on the trees. That and animals you can hunt in the forest if you feel inclined, though you have no weapons. There is fresh water near the shelters, and I spotted at least two of your crew near them already."

Keith shuffled, his wings fluttering in agitation, "I better go get someone to stop your blue friend before he gets himself eaten by the dungeon guard. Do you have any other questions before I go? Make it quick if you do, I really do need to get the guy to the surface before he's found."

"U-Uhh..." The man fidgeted in place, nervous and surprised by Keith's sudden visit. "May I ask which one of my friends you're talking about?" He wasn't sure what Keith meant by 'blue friend'.

"The one with brown hair and a blue jacket." Keith gave the answer, his wings giving one big flap as his feet left the ground. He didn't look back, flying towards the sea while the man ran after him.

"T-Thank you!" He yelled after him, and Keith did hear him. At least one of the pirates was reasonable, unlike the fool who decided to foolishly escape the dungeons.

 

* * *

 

The water was cold but they did pass a couple of warm currents that felt good against Lance's skin. Then again, when your body gets used to the temperate of the water, then you won't even feel the cold. Such was the case for Lance who held onto one of the dolphin's fins, holding tightly as the dolphin swam.

It was quick, understanding Lance's urgency to get to the other side of the island. He was thankful for it, closing his eyes before opening them again to focus on the black before them. The sea could be very colourful when it wanted to be, however, right now, it reflected the panicked state he was in. He looked down at the bottom, noticing the many rocks and corals that were laying down on the sea floor.

They were beautiful but didn't shine at all. Why? It was strange.

Lance felt puzzled and even when he asked the dolphins about it, they couldn't tell him much. They were a travelling heard, moving from place to place in order to discover and explore the world. Something Lance shared with them, making them chuckle in their own way.

They asked him why he was running and why he was in a hurry. He explained that the mer of the island took him captive and that he needed to save his friends. He also told them about the two birds and the Baku that live here. The dolphins shrugged, telling him that the mer here don't interact with them at all since they arrived. As for the Baku and the birds, they didn't know much about them to comment on it.

The pirate hummed, taking note of their answers. Although as the herd swam, they paused for a second, closely listening to the sounds around them.

"What's wrong?" Lance asked in confusion, closing his eyes to listen to the melodies of the water. He heard a low growl in the distance, in the direction they were travelling to.

Not good.

The dolphins picked up the sound as well, deciding to change course and head deeper into the water. There was a predator nearby, one they didn't want to meet face to face. They swam, hiding behind rocks as they waited for the creature to pass them by.

They remained in place, frozen as they listened to the creature approach. Lance peeked from behind the rock, eyes widening when he saw the said beast. It was massive, perhaps even larger than Baku. It swim past them, unbeknown to their presence.

The beast was massive, resembling a dragon more than anything else. It had sharp teeth that could pierce the flesh without any problems and large claws that tore anything in their path. He remembered a picture Coran had shown him once, resembling the creature he was looking at right now. But what was it called again? Ciren Ce? Cieu Ku? Ugh! Cirein Croin? Some mumbo jumbo like that.

Both he and the dolphins held in their breaths, waiting for the creature to swim past them. The dragon like beast was almost out of their view when a dolphin accidentally bumped into a rock, making a sound at the impact.

Oh no...

The Crei Cru-Whatever! Turned, eyes focusing on the rock they were hiding behind. Lance locked eyes with the beast, quickly motioning for the dolphin to swim. "Go!" And they did, they swam as fast as they could in the opposite direction of the beast.

The creature roared, chasing after them as they swam.

Lance felt his heart beat a thousand miles per hour, looking back as the creature opened it's mouth, showing all of it's sharp teeth. Not good. There was no way they would be able to outrun it out in the open... but the caves were another story. "Quick! To the caves!" He pointed to the right, the whispers of the sea letting him know that the caves were that way.

The dolphins turned, the creature doing the same thing as it swam behind them, threateningly growling as it swam. It was getting nearer and nearer, dangerously so. Luckily, the dolphins managed to make it to the caves in time, swimming inside while the beast crashed against it, groaning in pain.

It let out a loud ear piercing cry, trying to reach inside the caves with it's large hands.

But it couldn't, the caves were solid, the rock persistent as the beast clawed at it. '"Let's go inside. There must be another opening." Lance told the dolphins who agreed, swimming further into the caves.

The tunnels were dark at first but as they swam further inside, glowing corals greeted them, shining all around the walls like stars. "Whoa..." They were beautiful, blue glow emitting from them as they shined brightly. Lance, however, didn't have much time to admire them as he and the dolphins swam further inside.

He could feel it, a new current that was coming from the other end. There was an opening there.

But as they swam, another thing had caught Lance's attention. He looked up at the walls again, spotting cravings on the walls, drawings of the mer and their way of life. The dolphins stopped for a second, letting Lance examine the pictures. First he saw an image of a single mermaid, beautiful and alluring even as a drawing.

Then he traced his fingers to a second drawing, his fingers ceasing their movement as they landed on an image of the same mermaid, this time looking at what seemed to be the land above. Was she admiring what the world had to offer up on land? Lance didn't know but felt in his own opinion that that could be the case.

Then a third drawing, showing the mermaid looking at what seemed like a fisher's boat, admiring a single man that was on it. Lance could see the sense of longing the mermaid had in her eyes, the pictures powerful in the way they showed the expressions of the mermaid.

The fourth drawing took his breath away, his eyes moving to look at the image of both the mermaid and the man she was admiring, sitting on the beach. Both smiling in the image and holding each other's hands. Could it be that in the past... No way... That must mean that...

His eyes quickly moved to the next drawing, shocked to see that it was faded. No... no... no... He had to know! He traced his hands along the lines that survived, trying to make out what the image was. He closed his eyes, relying on his sense of touch to make out what it was.

The mermaid was there, and he could feel a second figure next to her as well. Most likely the human man she fell in love with. Then... He wasn't sure. The lines were there but they were too confusing to make out what they formed. Upon touch, the lines curved, as if the mermaid and the human were both holding something round between them but what?

Lance leaned his forehead against the drawing, conflicted feelings flowing through him. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a drawing of the sea as well, symbolizing it's spirit. The spirit of the sea, it exists all around them. He knew that so it wasn't anything new.

Although right in the center, between the sea and land, there was a round ball drawn. Lance had no idea what the ball represented but he had a guess that it was connected to the faded drawing somehow. Somehow...

The dolphins called out, asking him if he was ready to go. Right, they needed to leave. He swam towards them, leaning his body against one as they continued swimming. It didn't take them long to find themselves in the open sea again, most likely on the other side of the island from where they were before.

It was better than nothing. At least he's far away from where the mer mainly resided now.

The dolphins moved to resurface, looking up at the land and the shore that was close by. It was a relief, one that made Lance relax on the dolphin's back.

They swam as close to the beach as they could before Lance got off the dolphin, turning towards them to thank them for their help. "Thanks for helping me out. I really appreciate it." He pat the dolphins on their heads, a few approaching him in hopes they would be touched as well.

Lance smiled, petting as many dolphins as he could before turning around, "If I ever need a ride, I'll be sure to call the Dolphy Express!"

The dolphins chuckled in their own way, some of them trying to wave with their fins in goodbye before submerging themselves back into the water.

Lance turned swimming towards the beach, his wet feet finally managing to hit the soft sand under. He threw himself tiredly onto the ground, looking up at the black sky. At least the stars were shinning brightly. Really bright... Just like the sun...

Lance choked on his own spit, quickly standing back up when he realized that what he was looking at wasn't a star at all. He made a run for it towards the trees, hiding underneath the canopy so that the flying object doesn't notice him.

Fire.

Was that the firebird?

Oh... It was. He has some personal business to settle with that bird, and it won't end good for the fireball at all. Lance remained quiet, not venturing out of his hiding spot as he searched for something he could utilize as a weapon. Anything at all...

A sharp wooden stick will have to do.

He looked up, watching as the ball of fire flew above him, flying in circles as if he was searching for something. Does he know he escaped? Do all of the mer already know? But it's night! Doesn't anyone sleep around here?

Shrugging, Lance slowly and quietly made his way further into the forest, turning the opposite direction from where the firebird was. He would love nothing more than to settle the beef he has with the bird but right now, he needed to hide and then recover before looking for Hunk and everyone else.

Besides, it wasn't like the firebird could follow him into the forest. It would light the whole island on fire. Satisfied with his plan, Lance walked forward. Hasta la vista bird brain!

Lance made it about a single step into the forest when his foot snapped a twig.

Blue eyes widened with horror as they snapped towards the fiery bird above him. He prayed to whatever gods listened that the fucking bird didn't hear him, but when he looked up he could see strangely violet eyes settle on him. The bird made a cooing sound, not the shrieking cry that Lance has expected from an animal that looked so much like a falcon...or maybe a male peacock? It was a strange mix of the two. He'd never seen a bird quite like it before. It was definitely on fire though. Coran would probably know what the thing is for sure.

Assuming he could find Coran.

That one guy, the one who looked human but wasn't, he said that his friends were on the island, time to see if the guy was a filthy liar or not.

Reddish light grew brighter before Lance could turn around, and the firebird descended on the beach in a nearly soundless flap of wings. The flames surrounding the bird burned all sorts of different colours, ones he never even knew fire could burn; white, pink, reds, greens, blue, silvers, gold.

It was a strangely beautiful sight.

He wasn't thrown off guard though, he held up his stick, ready to fight.

Then the bird started changing.

A rainbow of burning colours surrounded the bird's body in a strange dance of flame, surrounded it as it's feathered wings were pulled back, and it's body morphed into a more human shape. Pale skin peaked from beneath where feathers had once been, and something that seemed more avian fell through a cloud of feathers that seemed to disappear into nothing. A boy stood in those dancing flames, wearing delicate looking red silks and jewellery that looked mer in nature. 

The boy stepped forward, the flames shaking away, only the fire on his wings remaining, "Good, you're safe. The yellow dressed friend of yours seemed concerned about you."

The still violet eyes landed on his stick and a dark eyebrow rose, "That's wooden, I'm made of fire, you should have grabbed a rock."

Lance's eyes were wide, but he snapped out of it when the avian like creature began talking. He'll admit, the colours were beautiful but it wasn't enough for him to start a fan club. Oh no... He would recognize this bird anywhere. It was the one who sank Blue to the bottom of the sea.

And Lance had something to say about that.

"Don't mind if I do then." The pirate quickly looked around himself, spotting a small rock next to his leg. Then he threw it, aiming at the man's face before he evaded. Those reflexes won't help him against Lance's wrath.

"Listen up firebird, birdy, fireball, whatever your name is. You sank my ship and I have something to say about it." He picked up another rock, throwing it at the avian like man who evaded again. "The Blue Lion was a beautiful maiden, born from the sea itself and _you_  destroyed it. You think I'll turn a blind to it? No!"

Violet eyes blinked at him, and the stupid bird had the _nerve_  to look confused, "I don't remember a blue lion."

"My _ship_  you actual fucking idiot!" Lance raged, reaching for another rock and throwing it, only for the avian-looking creature to move his head slightly and let the rock sail past him. The guy blinked again, seeming to realize what Lance was talking about.

"Oh, the ship." The bird shrugged, "You shouldn't have sailed towards an infamously cursed island that had _all_  the signs sailors weren't wanted here if you were concerned about the ship. Who does that? What part of "no one has ever survived" made you think the ship was going to be okay? I don't care how good of a pirate you are, that's just not practical."

Lance bristled, "Why _you_ -"

"You know what?" The birdbrain fluffed out his wings, "I don't care. Sorry about your ship, but I say it's even considering you shot two people after you trespassed in our territory. You should find your friend now, he really does looked worried about you."

Lance grumbled, hands clenched tightly by his sides, "And I was about to do that before you decided to drop out of the sky without a reason! What are you? A saint trying to show off or something?" The decency! "And I don't know if you noticed, but the skies were _clear_  when we sailed to the island!" Lance defended.

He grabbed another rock, but didn't throw it just yet. It felt good to hold it while the birdbrain stood before him like this, "And what makes you think we were sailing towards the 'cursed island'? For all you know, we could have mistaken the island for a _normal_  one. The sea was calm and the skies were blue!" Them the realization hit him, "W-Wait!"

What if... "You! It was your plan from the beginning! You _wanted_  us to come here!"

The man raised a brow, completely confused, "What?"

"Yeah! Why else would the island be clear? Why didn't you make the dark clouds to protect yourselves? Maybe if you did, my crew wouldn't have died!" He yelled, throwing a rock, and again, the man evaded. Shit.

"You're telling me to find my friend but I was already planning to find him on my own. What do you want? Anything you have to say birdbrain? If you don't, then _shoo! shoo!_  fly away and leave me alone."

"You're full of nonsense." The birdbrain sighed, rolling his eyes upwards, "There's no other island for over a thousand leagues, that's why my brother choose this place as our home. So unless you're actually a _terrible_  sailor or you're lying."

"The skies where clear!" Lance snapped.

"And it's a poor sailor who doesn't have a map." The bird snapped back, "So stop lying, pirate, and just be glad my brother has a moral code. If you're smart and don't act like a fucking idiot than _maybe_  Shiro will let you leave someday."

With that the avian-creature flapped his wings, blowing out the fire as his feet left the ground, "I'm going to tell your reasonable friend you're not dead. I'm done talking to you."

"Oh no! I'm done talking to _you_!" Lance snapped back, raising his hand up in the air as the bird flew away, "You have horrible taste by the way! A mullet? Seriously!?" But by now the bird didn't hear him, long gone as he flew away.

Well, that was certainly strange. Why would the dumb bird even look for him if he wasn't taking him back to the dungeons? What was he trying to do? Bestow upon him his saint knowledge? Hah! Lance made sure to categorize the guy as an ass, no matter what kind of a dumb bird he was.

But now the bird flew away, Lance could feel the cold wind wash over him, making him shiver. Somehow he didn't notice how warm it was in the avian like man's presence, but now that he did, he regretted it. Not to mention that he was still wet from swimming in the sea.

What now?

It was night and he felt cold all over. Should he go up the forest to find shelter? Or return to the sea? Maybe that wouldn't be such a great idea. The water was full of deadly creatures all around so he didn't think he would be able to sleep soundly at the bottom among the sand.

But what about the cave? He could take refuge there. It didn't seem like the mer explored it yet so he doubted they would find him there. And then when he wakes up, he can venture out to the land and dry in the sun.

Oh wait, there will be no sun. Only the dark clouds.

Sighing to himself, Lance settled on returning to the sea. He wanted to look at the cravings some more so that was a bonus. He walked up to the wet sand, the water warm against his feet. Yep, the water it was. He submerged himself underneath, aiming for the cave that was just a few strokes away from the beach.

He managed to make it inside without trouble, laying down on a decently flat rock. He looked up tiredly at the cravings, noticing a couple of small fish that swam by. He leaned against his hands tiredly, letting the small fish swim around him as he slowly fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

Loose flames dance in the wind as Keith's wings beat furiously against, shaking off red tuffs of flame that burned themselves out as they sparkled against the last dredges of life. His hand reached up to his forehead, clutching roughly at his head to try and fight off the migraine. This is what he gets for trying to be a sympathetic to a fucking supernatural pirate.

It took him less than thirty seconds to find the shelters. The most sturdy of the huts lit, indicating that one of the prisoners had settled themselves and started a fire inside. The island wasn't wide at all, so he trusted that the other pirates would reach the huts in a fair amount of time. Hopefully, the reasonable pirate had made shelter there.

Should Keith bring them some food? They might be scared to take food.

Keith shook his head. These people were dangerous criminals that probably raided towns and had come here to do the same to them, had harmed Baku and his brother in the name of taking from them, he couldn't let his inner nature distract him from that. He'd told the yellow pirate where to get food, it was up to him to survive from there.

He'd inform the pirates of the deaths and that would be it, he'd leave the rest to themselves. If they died, they died, if they lived than good for them.

Something inside of him twisted a pulled, wanting to find the blue pirate and bring him to the safety of these shelters, away from the hurricane Shiro would no doubt build tonight.

The raven haired boy shook away the thoughts, descending from the highs towards the roof of the lit shelter. He landed with a small thud, hearing whispered voices come to a halt as he did, leaving the lit hut in silence. Keith hummed, tilting his head, and began his decent from the roof.

He pushed back the flap that made the door only for a stick to fly towards his face.

Violet eyes blinked as the flames instinctually leapt to protect him, burning the wooden weapon to ashes before it could meet his face, leaving the woman who swung it growling in frustration.

"Allura! Stop!" The reasonable pirate from earlier jumped up, and Keith was glad to see he made it to shelter, "That's the guy!"

"The guy?" Keith tilted his head, confused, but ultimately decided it was unimportant. He smothered down the flames, stepping into the room easily and took stock of the gathered prisoners. Three men, two women. The green bird squawked over the younger girl's shoulder Good, he knew where everyone was then. He stepped past an older man, tilting his head as he took note of the man's widened eye, but chose to ignore it in favor of the reasonable pirate.

"I found your friend." Keith informed, "He made it to land before the Kraken could eat him. He's lucky."

"Lance is okay then? _Oh_  that's a relief." The reasonable pirate clenched his chest, breathing a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank the gods."

"I shall tell them of your thanks." Keith nodded, "But I cannot grantee you will like what they say."

The man made a confused noise.

The woman who attacked him, Allura he thinks, was far less relieved. In fact, she looked as enraged as the blue pirate, Lance was it? Either way, her eyes were narrowed on him and her hands were on her hips, "Who are you? How long do you plan to keep us here?"

"That's up to my brother and Luxia." Keith shrugged. "I just came to warn you my brother is going to make a hurricane tonight. He always does when pirates attack us."

"And how is he planning to do that?" The woman crossed her arms, "And where are the rest of my crew?"

Keith exhaled softly, "My brother just brings storms, it's in his nature. As for your crew? The blue pirate is one the beach. The rest are here."

"The rest are here? I had another twenty men." The woman growled.

"And I warned them all what would happen." Keith shrugged, waving a hand towards the reasonable pirate, "I'm sure he told you."

"The rules?" Allura raised a brow at him, "The ones you gave Hunk? They _all_  broke the rules?"

"Some tried to swim." Keith informed, "We couldn't stop them. There's more than just Baku in these waters."

That cause everyone in the room to freeze.

"Twenty men died today." Keith sighed, tired, feeling a phantom pain. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Sorry for-" The woman started, enraged, only for the older man with red-hair and facial hair to stop her.

"Princess please, let me speak to him." The man soothed, and Keith could see the affection in the man's eyes. The woman turned to him, and something unspoken passed between them as she stepped back and let him take over.

The man stepped forward, a respectful distance away, awe and reverence in his eye, "You...you're a firebird, aren't you?"

"I am." Keith nodded.

"What the actual fuck is-" The smaller girl with the bird tried to speak, only for a boy who looked remarkably like her to elbow her and shushed her.

"In all my years I'd never though I'd have the honour of standing before one such as yourself." The man bowed his head for a moment before looking back up, "You're this island's treasure, aren't you? The rumoured treasure of the island was always you."

"Yeah." Keith reached to scratch the back of his head, embarrassed about the whole thing, "Sorry, but I hope you understand why the mer are so defensive now."

"I understand that much. I can't say I wouldn't be equally ruthless under the circumstances." The man nodded, "No one can afford a creature like you falling into the wrong hands."

Keith nodded, his lips quirking at the man, glad he seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation, "The mer are very protective of me for that, but they've come to see me as a part of their shoal in that time. And my brother, you saw him, he's Lord of this island and even more protective. He's the one that decided to let sailors who land on the island live."

"And he's the thunderbird?" The man asked. "The one who brings the storms."

"Yes." Keith nods.

"I see then." The man licks his lips, "And your name is...?"

Keith shakes his head, "Nice try, but I'm no Fae, that won't work on me."

"I wasn't trying to bind you. I'm no fool, a firebird cannot be bound by anything less than godly powers." The man shakes his head, "I'm simply trying to be polite, it's not every day we met a messenger of the gods."

"You should resent the gods." Keith shrugs, "One manipulated events to lead you here. I don't know what they're planning, but they wanted you here."

The man inhaled sharply.

"It's Keith, by the way." The raven haired boy greets, "At least in this life."

"But what would a god want from us on this island? Did we do something to anger them?" Hunk began to fidget in place, all of a sudden much more worried about their current predicament. "What if we angered them by stealing the treasure on that one island? You know, the one where we had a boulder flying at us."

"I doubt we'd actually get cursed for it." The smaller girl rolled her eyes in clear disagreement.

"You never know Pidge! It's possible." Hunk stressed, the rest of the crew humming in thought. Coran, however, decided to ignore them to address the firebird.

"It's a pleasure Keith." He bowed down politely, showing his respect. "My name is Coran." Then he turned to the rest of the pirates.

"This chap here is Hunk." He pointed at the reasonable pirate who smiled in response.

"Hi. Thanks for helping me out earlier." He scratched the back of his head nervously as Keith gave a nod.

"This here is Pidge."

"Quaa! Pidgeon!" Rover added, using the nickname Lance gave her.

"Hey." She raised up her hand in a greeting, "Pleasure." She didn't know how to address such a powerful being so she hoped this would do. Actually, all of them were a bit tense, even Allura who was seated with folded arms on the floor.

"Matt." Coran turned to point to the person that resembled Pidge.

"Hello! My full name is Matt Holt and I'm Pidge's older brother. We're pirate siblings conquering the sea."

"That's lame." Pidge huffed.

"Hey, don't interrupt my introduction sis." He nudged her to the side, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of the firebird.

"And this here is Allura." Lastly Coran pointed to the woman with white hair. Her glare was still there, unchanging.

"And I'm the captain of the Blue Lion. The ship you've sunk." She said with a tint of resentment, clearly not happy about the whole ordeal.

Keith blinked in confusion, folding his arms. "You're the captain?"

"I am." Allura confirmed. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No." Keith shook his head, "I just thought the blue pirate was the captain."

"What? He told you that?"

The firebird shook his head, "No, but he didn't appreciate me sinking the ship that he claimed was his."

"That little..." Allura sighed, looking up at Keith again. However, Coran decided to speak up instead.

"What can we do to thank you for your kindness?" He asked thoughtfully, representing the group as a whole. He knew better than to get on a firebird's bad side, and he did respect the creature greatly despite it attacking them on their way here.

Violet eyes roamed over the faces of the pirates, carefully trying to make out what their expressions were trying to tell. Some were confused, others scared and one was definitely mad. No matter how much Allura tried to hide it, he could see it clearly on her face.

But that didn't matter. He already warned the pirates of the dangers that were lurking, and most importantly, he told them about the rules. Now that they knew them, they can follow them. He turned around, feeling the wind blow past him in wake of the hurricane Shiro was planning to release. He better get back home before the hurricane forms.

"I've said what needed to be said." He told the pirates, "Now it's up to you on how you manage to survive the trials of the island. I wish you luck." With that said, he extended his wings, leaping up onto the roof before flapping his wings fully and flying away.

"Hey! What about the gods!? Why are we here!?" He heard Pidge call after him but he decided to ignore her in favor of going back to his treehouse. The winds were slowly beginning to pick up and it would be best if the pirates had time to prepare for the hurricane rather than chat with him and waste the time.

Thunder could be heard, lighting up the dark clouds that surrounded the island. It seems that his brother's dark clouds returned, the air as electrifying as ever before. He could feel Shiro's worry within the clouds, set on protecting the island from any sailors or pirates that may target the island.

For now, Keith decided to rest.

 

* * *

 

Lance's eyes slowly began to open, noting the many little fish that were swimming around in the cave he was in. The water felt nice against his skin, his hidden gills expanding before exhaling tiredly. Judging by the flow of the current, Lance guessed that it must already be morning.

He stretched his arms and legs out, yawning as he looked up at the carvings once again. He had no luck in figuring out what the hidden drawing portrayed but he had a couple of ideas. Still, he couldn't say anything for certain and that bothered him.

But that aside, he'll have to get to work on finding his crew today. They'll reunite and then figure out how to get from this island alive. He wasn't buying the mysterious man's bullshit when he said that nobody would be able to get off the island.

He must have said it to keep them all here, crushing their hopes of ever leaving. But, apparently the man had no idea who Lance McClain was, for he will keep trying until he drops.

Swimming, Lance slowly made his way towards the exit of the cave. The currents were weak and the ocean was quiet. He reached the opening, peeking out to see if he could spot any mer. The coast was clear.

He swam out into the open, aiming to get back onto the beach. However, as he swam, he felt eyes watching him from somewhere in the distance. It was the kind of feeling prey would get when the predator was watching them, and Lance experienced this kind of a feeling before. Did he speak too soon when he said the coast was clear?

He ceased his swim, floating in place as he looked around. He focused on the sounds around him, _faintly_  hearing the flaps of tails all around. They were purposely trying to remain quiet and they were very skilled at hiding their presence.

Lance's heart began to beat, looking around himself with the knowledge that he was surrounded. He waited for the enemy to appear, on edge as his eyes roamed around the hazy blue.

Then he felt someone behind him, grabbing him from behind to restrain him. The mer, they were back.

Lance struggled against the hold of this mer, thrashing around as more mer appeared. He instantly knew that these mer weren't just ordinary mer within the shoal because they were clearly very skilled hunters. And their prey? Himself.

The guard's hold was tight, incredibly so considering that Lance didn't eat anything the whole day yesterday and didn't have the energy to fight back. What took him by surprise though was when another guard suddenly threw a fish towards him, the said fish deflating as soon as it hit him. The guard holding him let go, leaving him in a cloud of purple smug that the tiny fish released.

He swam out of it but felt the effects almost instantly. Shallower waters were just within his reach when he felt a webbed hand grab him by the foot, pulling him down into the water again. He didn't have the strength to keep his eyes open, closing them as he slowly lost consciousness.

A guard held him tightly in his hold, swinging the human's body onto his shoulder.

"We've succeeded. As requested by the queen, we'll take him back to the dungeons." The leader of the group said, one hunter appearing from the direction where the cave was before addressing his superior.

"Sir, it appears that he took refuge in a cave nearby. It's a cave unknown to us. I think that you'll be interested in what we've found inside." The guard reported, gaining the captain's attention.

"We'll return as soon as we take the escaped convict back to his cell. Let us head back to our home shore." And the guards did just that, swimming back in formation as they aimed to get back home unnoticed by the many creatures that lived within these parts of the water.

 

* * *

 

Thunder could be heard outside of Keith's little treehouse, the hurricane now active in full force, rocking and swaying the nearby trees. However, because he was already used to it, the strong winds and thunder didn't disturb Keith's peaceful sleep.

His left leg fell to the side of the hammock he was laying on, folding his wings to create a makeshift blanket around himself. He had a blanket as well but nothing could replace the comfort of his own feathers. His breaths were even in sleep and so far, his sleep was dreamless.

He appreciated it, especially since he'd converse with various gods within his dreams on most nights. This time, however, he appreciated the quiet.

' _I'll look for you. I swear it._ '

Or at least Keith thought he would sleep in peace. All of a sudden, slowly emerging from the corners of his mind was a blurry image, containing a single figure within it. The mirage like image took root within his mind and for a second, Keith thought that he might be conversing with one of the gods.

_'I'll travel to the edge of the world to find you. And once I do, we'll be together again. The sea is my witness, and I swear upon it that we will see each other again.'_

Keith tried to focus his eyes, to see the mysterious figure that spoke to him. All he saw was white, faintly making out an outline of a person in front of him. He didn't know what they looked like, and he couldn't even make out their gender as well. All he knew was the sound of their voice that fell softly upon his ears.

"Why the sea? Why are you swearing upon it?" He found himself asking without realizing it, the figure standing contently in place. He wasn't sure of it but he thought he could make out a smile on their face, soft as they spoke again.

' _Because I'm connected to it, just like I'm connected to you.'_

' _I_ _'m so sorry I had to leave you but as soon as I return, I'll look for you. And if by the time I come back you find love in another place... then that's fine as well. All I wish for is your happiness_.'

Keith tried to reach out and touch the figure but just as his hand was about to touch the person, his hand passed through them. "Who are you?"

' _Someone who has hurt you but also someone who cherishes you deeply_.' They tried to reach out to him but stopped just short of touching him.

 _'You are beautiful_.'

' _Wait for me. I'll come_.'

' _Because_...'

' _I love you_.'

The mirage like dream slowly began to vanish and Keith suddenly found himself opening his eyes and sitting up on his hammock that rocketed around due to his sudden movement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: Because we hate ourselves, Star and I worked on two different stories at once. What started as a oneshot also spiralled out of control into this. Someone stop us. XD
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: BBell and I are back at it with a new story! We already finished writing everything up so all that's left is for us to post it here BUT I don't have the art ready just yet! I'll be doing one art piece a chapter so that I can focus on making it good. I never spent so much time on one art piece so I hope u like it. Thank u for reading and I hope u stick with us.
> 
> Chapter Betaed by the wonderful SilviaMoon.
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	2. Distant Calling

_“I feel like a part of my soul has loved you since the beginning of everything._

_Maybe we’re from the same star.”_

― Emery Allen

~

Rapids footfalls sounded almost in-time with the pitter-patter of falling rain against the rooftop as Shiro threw open the door flap and hurried inside Keith's treehouse, gasping as he hurried to a stop once his eyes landed on the younger boy, "Keith? Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine Shiro." The smaller boy leaned forward, a pale hand clutching at his forehead, "Why? Did you sense something?"  
  
"The winds." Shiro stepped forward, getting away from the heavy rain outside as he stepped deeper into Keith's room, "I can't hear them like you can, but they tend to let me know when you're distressed."  
  
"It was just a strange dream." Keith informed his brother, letting his body fall back against the hammock lazily, "Nothing to worry over."  
  
"Are you sure?" Shiro frowned, stepping up to the bed and brushing his hand through the younger boy's hair, "It could have been a prophecy, or a message from the gods, or..."  
  
"Or it may have been a vision from one of my past selves." Keith finished for him, snuggling beneath the fold of his wing, "We can't know anything for sure, but it's nothing bad, and it's not a message that needs to be spread."  
  
"Hopefully it's good fortune then." Shiro breathed a sigh of relief, clenching his hand over his heart, "We could certainly use it after today."  
  
"I still can't believe it only took twelve hours for twenty people to die." Keith shook his head, "It's never taken that fast for so many prisoners to die on this island."  
  
"Maybe the rest will be smart enough to actually live a while." Shiro breathed worriedly, "I know I'm usually the last person to express sympathy for pirates, but so many of them died so fast that I couldn't help but have a bit of pity. I caught them some fish and gathered fruit to leave at the door of their shelters just before the rains started."  
  
"Getting soft Shiro?" Keith smirked, flicking his brother, "You get mad when I help the prisoners."  
  
"They always try to take you." Shiro scolds seriously, hands landing on his hips, "Once they find out what even a single one of your feathers are worth. I'd avoid them if I were you Keith."  
  
"Why bother?" Keith turned over, "They're never leaving this island. If their lack of ship doesn't stop them, or the mer and the sea creatures don't stop them, then the waters itself will."  
  
"What do you mean?" Shiro frowns heavily at that.  
  
"The ocean wanted them here, that's why they wanted the skies clear." Keith indicated upwards with his hand, "The yellow pirate, Hank or something, thinks they've done something to offend the god, so it must have lead them here."  
  
"That's... vaguely concerning." Shiro frowns.  
  
"It doesn't matter." Keith shrugs, "It just means they're going to be here for however long they survive."  
  
"Then we'll have to adjust to having them on the island." For as long as they survive of course. He certainly knows that the mer won't be happy about that. They're already anxiously waiting until the pirates are eaten by either the land or sea creatures that roam around. "Do you need anything? Are you sure you're feeling okay?"  
  
"I'm fine." Keith waved him away, "What time is it?"  
  
"Morning, but you can sleep in if you want. We won't be able to fly anywhere with the rain falling down like this." Then he paused, "Unless you want me to call it off. Luxia requested it to wash away the spilled blood of those that died on the beaches, but I can cease it if you ask for it."  
  
"No." Keith shook his head, "I'd rather listen to the rain while I doze off for a bit longer." He covered himself fully with both of his wings, intent on returning to bed.  
  
"Alright, but call me if you need anything at all. I'll be listening to the wind if something happens again."  
  
"Got it." Keith nodded, closing his eyes.  
  
His sleep was dreamless once again.

 

* * *

 

The coral door of the cell opened as a mer guard threw their prisoner inside. Lance rolled with a thud, groaning in pain even while unconscious. The door was slammed shut again while the guards busied themselves with setting up a new lock system on both the doors. One under the water, and the other on the surface.  
  
Luxia watched as her guards worked, eyes on the pirate who laid on the sand in the cell. She held her trident tightly in hand, completely baffled as to how the human may have escaped. "Make sure to strengthen those chains, I don't want a repeat of what happened."  
  
"Yes ma'am." The guard listened, locking the locks and then double checking by pulling on them.  
  
"Your highness." A mermaid swam up to the queen, bowing in respect before looking up, "Blumfump is already on his way with the guards towards the cave that was discovered. From what the hunters have described, I believe it would benefit us if you saw it for yourself as well." The mermaid, Plaxum, reported.  
  
"Yes." Luxia lowered her head in thought, "I would like to see it for myself as well." She turned to Plaxum, giving out her order, "Have three guards look after the prisoner here. A group of other guards and hunters will accompany us to said cave as we venture out to see it."  
  
Plaxum perked up, smiling widely, "Yes, your highness." She bowed as both she and Luxia made their leave, walking out of the dungeons and passing the metal door that sealed it.  
  
Guards and hunters joined them in their swim, aiming to get to the cave while avoiding the dangerous creatures that lurked the waters. However, since they've lived on this island for quite some time now, they've already gotten used to the beasts here and know exactly how to avoid them.  
  
It didn't take them long to reach the cave, swimming inside to explore it. Luxia's eyes widened as soon as she spotted the carvings, quickly swimming towards them. Some were covered in seaweed and others had rust on the rock as proof of their old age.  
  
"Ancients... I never knew carvings like these existed on the island." Luxia remarked, tracing her finger over the lines.  
  
"It is quite a surprise." Plaxum agreed before another mer, Blumfump, called out to them.  
  
"Queen! Please come see this!" He pointed towards a drawing, both Luxia and Plaxum swimming towards it. As soon as they saw the second and third images, they froze in place.  
  
"That is a mermaid..."  
  
"And she is admiring a human." Plaxum noted, approaching the carvings.  
  
"Impossible. Our kind strictly isolate themselves in order to survive. That is the only way we have managed to survive for this long." Luxia moved her trident towards the rocks, leaning it against the lines to trace them. However, the unthinkable happened.  
  
The lines suddenly began to shine, glowing in color as they enlightened the cave in their blue aura. The mer were startled, looking around in awe. "Oh my!"  
  
Then they noticed fish which began to form, made of pure water but glowing at the same time. They swam around them like the spirits they were, and soon, larger forms took shape. Mer of all different shapes and sizes began forming, glowing brilliantly in the water as they swam.  
  
Luxia watched in awe as two glowing mer swam towards her. They were holding hands, smiling brightly just as they were about to bump into her. She shielded herself, only to look up again, not feeling anything. W-What happened?  
  
The realization hit her when she saw the glowing mer pass through the rocks. It was clear to her that these were their ancestors, showing them a glimpse of their lives and how they lived.  
  
Luxia turned, spotting something off among the mermaids. She saw a mermaid... holding hands with a man in a diving suit, clearly a human. She watched in utter startlement as the mermaid leaned her forehead against the disgusting helmet, kissing it gently.  
  
"H-How..." Then the two dispersed, turning into water again. The water flew, forming the image of the same mermaid again, only this time she was holding something within her arms. She looked happily at them, smiling before she dissolved into water yet again.  
  
The glow of the cravings slowly ceased, all the water gathering on Luxia's trident, creating a small underwater tornado around it. Then as suddenly as the glow began, everything returned back to normal. As if nothing ever happened. But it _did_  happen, leaving everyone in a state of both shock and surprise.  
  
"T-The spirits..." Plaxum uttered, eyes still wide as she looked at the cravings.  
  
"The spirits of our ancestors have graced us with their presence." Luxia's voice was quiet as she spoke, her complete shock could be felt within it, "And they have passed their wills onto us." Her eyes trailed along her trident, the said item glowing brightly in the water.  
  
"B-But my queen... What does it mean?"  
  
"I do not know." Luxia bit her bottom lip, uncertain, "P-Perhaps there is a message our ancestors wish to pass onto us. W-We..." She thought about it but even now their intentions were _very_  unclear, "We may have strayed from the right path our ancestors have set for us. But then..." The thought of the glowing mermaid and the man in a diving suit made her anxious.  
  
She looked up, gathering the resolve she needed to deal with the situation at hand. "We need to discover the secrets of the carvings our ancestors have left us. If they're here, then that must mean that they've lived on this island long ago."  
  
"I will see to it that the job is done your majesty." Blumfump bowed, turning towards the rock.  
  
"Please do." Luxia nodded, "There may be something important we are overlooking. Perhaps both our ancestors and the sea god wish to tell us something." Holding onto the glowing trident, Luxia stood as she and the rest of the mer worked on understanding the meaning of the carvings.

 

* * *

 

Hunk liked to consider himself the most sensible of his, now little, crew. While it's true that the crew would maybe not have a whole lot of treasure if they listened to him, he has a vague feeling they also wouldn't be cursed right now.  
  
Now? Now he had to adjust.  
  
He wasn't going to lie, he wasn't fond of the other members of their crew at all. Heck, he was pretty terrified of more than half of them. They were crew gotten at ports, raiders and thieves picked up along the way. The others certainly wouldn't mourn them, other than the loss of hands to work a ship and help them get off this island, but even if Hunk didn't like any of them he couldn't help but be a little horrified by the quickness and sadness of their deaths.  
  
Even Keith, the firebird that lived here and helped keep them trapped here, seemed a little perturbed and confused by the quickness of their deaths.  
  
It only served to emphasize just how dangerous it would be for them to try and escape. Keith had been nice enough to warn them about the dangers, and even helped Hunk find shelter and two of his friends, of which Hunk was grateful, and the firebird clearly didn't outright want anyone to die, if his concern for Lance was an indication, but he had a feeling that the guy wasn't exactly going to help them escape either.  
  
But, at this point, Hunk would take what he could get.  
  
The rest of his friends had all decided to huddled together in the most sturdy shack together last night rather than take their own, something which Hunk was grateful because he _really_  didn't want to be alone right now. So he was happy to sit in the huddled circle around the fire, cooking the fish mysteriously brought to their door while the rest of his friends, sans Lance who Hunk had a feeling was cooped up in a different shelter until the hurricane passed, discussed their new reality.  
  
"Firebirds are divine creatures." Coran started as the friends all gathered together, ready to figure out what they should do next now that they'd gotten some tentative rest through the night, which meant putting all the information the had on the table and figuring out where to go. Coran, the oldest of them and the most knowledgeable about the supernatural, was the first to speak, "They're living symbols of life and good fortune. They bring wealth and good luck wherever they go, and are messengers of the gods themselves. They're also inherently benevolent creatures, which may be why he chose to warn us of the island's dangers."  
  
"He didn't seem so benevolent when he was burning our ship." Pidge crossed her arms resentfully.  
  
"We're alive, are we not?" Coran shrugged, "That can only be an act of mercy."  
  
"Yeah, we're alive." Matt spoke up, "But also _stuck on a cursed island full of things that want to kill us_."  
  
"As long as we're alive we have a chance." Coran shrugged again, "If nothing else we can try to appeal to the firebird's benevolent nature. If he's helping to keep us trapped here than it must be either because he genuinely sees that as the more kind action, or he thinks we are legitimately a threat to the people of the island."  
  
"He mentioned his older brother was the lord of this island." Allura pointed out, "Which means he also defers to his brother. It may be less that he thinks we're a threat, and more that he's loyal to his brother and the mer on this island. He did say it was up to his brother and the mer Queen of this shoal if we're allowed to leave."  
  
"That definitely implies that there's a chance that we _can_ leave eventually." Matt latched onto the last part of that sentence."  
  
"Coran, what do you know of this...thunderbird?" Allura turned towards the older man.  
  
Coran stroked his moustache thoughtfully, humming a bit as he poured over his knowledge, "You've seen him yourself. The giant bird with razor sharp teeth along his beak? That was most definitely him. And he was a good sized one at that, definitely the type to eat a whale whole, as they're known to do. They bring storms with every flap of their wings, and it's said they can take human form when they're so inclined. They're not quite divine like the firebird, but they're _very_  powerful, and we should approach him with caution. Though, this one may be more benevolent in nature as well if he has the loyalty of a firebird and granted us mercy. We may be able to reason with him eventually."  
  
"Yeah, guys." Hunk finally decided to cut in. "That's great and all, but I think we're forgetting something important here. That messenger of the gods said that one of the gods _wants_  us here! We might be able to leave even now _if_ they decided to be nice!"  
  
"And whose fault do you think that is?" Pidge gave her companion a glare, "If I remember correctly, you were the one who triggered the trap on that last island! _Thee shall not step on the sun, for sun is the giver of life_. And what did you do? You stepped on the carved image of the sun! Thanks Hunk."  
  
"Hey! It's not my fault! How was I supposed to know the picture was just below my feet?" The larger pirate complained but then furrowed his brows in worry, "What if I'm the one who is cursed?" The thought made his face pale, "W-What if I'll be killed here? Oh no... Guys, you have to help me."  
  
"I don't think the gods would have only cursed you if all of us are stuck on the island." Matt pointed out, patting Hunk's shoulder in assurance.  
  
"Whatever the case may be, as soon as these supplies of food are gone, we'll have to hunt for it ourselves. We should begin getting ourselves familiar with the island's wildlife before hunting it. Then when we reunite with Lance, we can think of a way to escape this island."  
  
"Maybe the whales could help up? Or maybe sharks? We could use them to get out." Matt suggested.  
  
"But if the gods are against us then it's pointless. Remember what Keith said?" Hunk leaned back against the wooden wall.  
  
"I don't trust him." Allura gained everyone's attention, "I do believe the rules he told us were true but I'm not about to believe everything he said. The island isn't a fortress. It's connected to the rest of the world by ocean." She looked out the window, the rain falling heavily on the vegetation around them. "We'll get out of here. Using the firebird or doing it ourselves."  
  
The oldest pirate wasn't so sure about this idea, "Perhaps we should reconsider? Harming the firebird will only do us harm."  
  
"I understand." Allura sighed, seating herself back down, "We'll think further about the options we have later. For now, let us replenish our energy for the day.

 

* * *

 

Shiro brushed the water from his face as he moved along the forest floor, intent on gathering breakfast for when his brother awoke. Keith wasn't allowed to eat meat, but fruits on the island were plentiful, and Shiro had brought vegetables back the last time he'd gone to outside shores. The small basket he carried was already full enough to feed his younger brother for the day, and he could finally get out of the rain.  
  
His bare feet padded against the muddied ground as he moved past the trees, heavy droplets of rain soaking through his loose fitting clothes, the woven shells of his jewelry feeling at home in the heavy water. His exposed back growing goosebumps as it was exposed to the heavy amounts of rain. Thunder was his only companion here, and the occasional flash of lightning the only light he needed on the familiar path. None of the animals of this island would dare harm him, each and every one recognizing him as the superior predator.  
  
Shiro stopped as he reached the lagoon of altars, where he and the mer had built tributes to the gods, the nearby shore containing the small temple he had constructed for Keith to take refugee in when rituals were done. It had become something of a source of comfort to the inhabitants of the island, and even past prisoners had come here to pray when they sought the blessings of whatever gods would hear them.  
  
Only Keith could speak for them though.  
  
Shiro shook his head, dropping fruits before the altars before moving on. It was funny, in a sad sort of way, this whole island could be consider blessed just by Keith's continued presence here. Ever since they'd settled on the island the fruits never stopped growing and the shoal's population had boomed. Good fortune indeed, Shiro couldn't help but laugh bitterly.  
  
Everyone wanted a firebird.  
  
So much blood on the desert floor. Ashes everywhere.  
  
Shiro violently shook his head. It didn't matter what anyone wanted, Shiro was here, and the mer were here, and this whole island was a palace surrounded by monsters completely devoted to protecting Keith. He was their family, and they were his, and they'd protect him with their dying breath.  
  
It didn't matter what these new pirates wanted either, he wouldn't allow anyone to hurt Keith.  
  
Shiro nodded as reached his treehouse's still-dropped ladder, grabbing the rope and stepping on the wooden steps, adjusting the basket in the crook of his arm as he pulled himself up into the high tree lines above. Even they would protect Keith if the had to, and he trusted them with his resting brother.  
  
He was glad that Keith was resting, a rare occurrence for the firebird, and Shiro could only hope he stayed asleep through the hurricane. He didn't want his brother out in these heavy rains.

 

* * *

 

Lance felt cold all over, shivering as soon as he regained consciousness. The solid rock was cold below him, cooling him down even further against the cold winds that were present in the dungeon. He quickly sat up, his teeth clacking as he observed his surroundings.  
  
He was back in the cell, another cold wave of fear washing over him. Being back inside meant so many things... He could be fed to the Baku for escaping in the first place or maybe even punished. He didn't know what to expect from the mer but the last time he spoke with the queen, she didn't seem all that enthusiastic about conversing with him.  
  
He stood up, his legs shaky as he did. Then he noticed a guard that was floating in the water just in front of his cell, guarding it with a spear in his hand. But if there was a guard on top, was there one at the bottom?  
  
Fighting the shiver, Lance submerged his head into the water, noticing that yes, there was a mer guard there as well. He raised his head back up, hair now wet all over again.  
  
He couldn't handle this. He needed something, anything to warm him up.  
  
"Can I get a blanket?" He asked the guard at the top, the mer not moving a muscle as he floated in front of his cage.  
  
Ignored.  
  
"Please?" He tried again but just like the first time, his request went unheard.  
  
He did spot his blue coat that he had taken off before escaping and luckily enough, the coat was somewhat dry. At least it was better than nothing. The notion that the guards may see him bare wasn't enlightening but he really couldn't stand the wet clothes he was wearing. It would be better to put them somewhere to dry a little before he put them back on.  
  
Checking that the guard wasn't looking, Lance took off his wet clothes, completely bare before he quickly grabbed his blue jacket, throwing it onto himself.  
  
Cold.  
  
Now he only wore the large jacket, hugging himself protectively. He made sure to cover himself fully before settling onto sand in the corner of the cell. Sand was better than rock and at least it was warmer. Don't take him wrong though, he was equipped to withstand low temperatures but the dungeon was _really_  cold right now and the fact that he was laying down on cold stone while unconscious only made him even more cold.  
  
He settled himself onto the sand, covering himself with the coat as he tried to warm up.  
  
He could only hope the queen would come visit. Heck! Even the mysterious black-haired man will do. Anyone, as long as he can ask them for a blanket.

 

* * *

 

One thing about the rain was that it made Keith really sleepy most of the time. He'd never met another firebird, so he wasn't sure if it had something to do with their nature as creatures of the sun, or if he'd just grown comfortable with it due to a lifetime spent with Shiro as his source of love and affection. Either way, rainy weather usually made the raven haired boy feel safe and relaxed.  
  
So when he told Shiro he was going to stay within his nest and rest, he really did mean it, he had every intention of sleeping soundly through the hurricane. The heavy rains couldn't be good for him no matter how hot his flames burned, and they would wet his wings if he went outside, and it would take a lot of energy to burn them dry and...  
  
' _He's cold child_.' The million drowned voices of the ocean whispered, goading him, ' _He's cold and alone in his little cell. Not even a blanket to his name_.'  
  
Keith tried to huddle further under his warm wings, blanketing himself in the safety and warmth of his hammock, his nest just below in case he wanted to feel the ground. Shiro wanted him to _stay here_  where it was _safe_  and _warm_.  
  
' _All alone in the cold_.' The ocean was so _persistent_  today, and Keith couldn't help but wonder _what_  they were planning, ' _No warm nest or small sun to greet him_.'  
  
The other prisoners were huddled in their shelters around a warm fire while the prisoner was trapped in the dungeon, "It's his own fault. He could have cooperated and they would have given him something to keep warm with."  
  
' _So small and cold_.'  
  
Keith groaned, trying to fight back the guilt. He had no reason to feel compassion to such a jerk, especially since he came here to take from his family and community.  
  
' _Cold, cold, cold_.'  
  
Keith threw himself up, flapping his wings and gliding down towards a collection of stones. He gathered one into his hands, breathing a white-hot flame into the stone as ancient words carved itself into the side, the surface baking softly as the runes glowed with the red-gold colors of a flame. It would burn warm forever now.  
  
The pale boy stood, moving towards the doorway timidly. It would just be a quick trip to give the guy the stone, then he'd come right back  
  
He looked up at the dark clouds, the rain falling down heavily onto him. He couldn't fly like this so instead, he settled on doing something he didn't do in a while; climb down the wooden stairs that were attached to the trees of his and Shiro's treehouses.  
  
His wings felt heavier and heavier the longer he was exposed to the rain. Getting to the bottom, Keith covered himself with his wings to shield himself from the rain, making his way to the dungeon doors. It wasn't close but it wasn't far away either. Shiro definitely wouldn't build their treehouses right next to the dungeon because that beats the whole point of the island's creatures trying to protect him.  
  
If his nest is right next to the beehive of prisoners, then what's the point?  
  
Finally making his way inside the cave dungeons, Keith dried himself using his flames. It only took a minute for his entire body to dry but... his wings would take a bit longer. He grumbled, because this was exactly the reason why he hated the rain.  
  
He shook his wet wings, and _only then_  did he light them on fire. They'll slowly dry like this on their own. He walked inside, jumping down a few rocks as he entered the main area where the cells were. He spotted one guard floating in front of a cell to the left. That must be the one.  
  
He jumped, alarming the guard who flinched in startlement, but as soon as he saw that it was him, he immediately lowered his weapon. "Your Divinity." The guard bowed to show respect, "What can I do for you?"  
  
"I've just come to give the pirate a stone. Then I'll leave." Keith approached the bars as the guard moved for him to pass.  
  
Violet eyes roamed the inside of the cell, spotting the blue pirate at the right corner of the cell. He was sitting down in a fetal position, seated on sand while wearing his long blue coat. Keith didn't miss the sight of his discarded clothes that were placed on the floor. So he's... Great.  
  
He moved to throw the rock into the cell, managing to land it in the middle. "Here, I brought you a warm stone." Keith spoke up but the brunette wasn't looking up, remaining in place as he continued shivering. "Hello? Can you hear me?" He quirked a brow, waiting for a response he didn't get.  
  
Fine. he'll have to do this himself.  
  
"Let me inside for a second."  
  
"But your Divinity, what if he hurts you?" The guard held his spear tightly.  
  
"He doesn't have any weapons. He can't hurt me." Keith turned towards the bars, then looked back at the mer so that he could open the door. The guard complied, opening the cell door wide as Keith walked inside. He picked the rock he'd thrown, bringing it to the pirate.  
  
"Here." He extended his hand, wanting to get the pirate's attention.  
  
It must have finally worked because the pirate looked up, still shaking as his eyes met Keith's own. "Please... A blanket."  
  
"This is just like a blanket." He held out the stone, "Take it."  
  
Lance blinked, looking up at Keith in confusion. Although right now he'd do anything for warmth so he reached out for the stone.  
  
Strange writing glowed red-gold as soon as his fingers brushed against the stone, a gentle warmth spreading across him like a warm blanket of sunlight being draped across his skin, melting away the frigid cold from his body. Lance found himself drawing the stone closer to himself, basking in its warmth as it brought life back to his limbs. It didn't take long even for his clattering teeth to stop.  
  
"What is this?" Lance asked, looking up at the avian-ish guy.  
  
"It _was_  just a stone." The raven headed boy shrugged, "It's a talisman now, warmed by the flames of a firebird. So long as it's not destroyed and the runes aren't carved off it will never cool."  
  
Lance found his fingers clutching the stone more tightly now, as if he'd lose his new treasure.  
  
"It should warm anyone who touches it." The guy fluffed out his feathers, spreading small waves of fire that burned their way out before they reached the floor. He kneeled down a bit, exhaling as if he were tired, and violet eyes locked with Lance's blue, "Do you feel better?"  
  
"Yeah." Lance nodded. Then, reluctantly, Lance shuffled a bit, meeting the guy's eyes, "Um...that's...ah...?"  
  
"Keith." The guy nodded, "My name is Keith."  
  
"Lance." The pirate introduced.  
  
"I know." Keith answered, letting his body fall against the damp wall, the heat of his flames burning away the dampness, causing steam to rise from where the water died beneath the heat. The raven head lolled against the wall, a sigh escaping his lips, "Your yellow friend told me. Hank I think? He's in the shelters with the others."  
  
"Hunk?" Lance asked in surprise, holding onto the warm stone and keeping it close to his body. His eyes drifted to the firebird, looking at him warily. It surprised him that Keith would stick around because he was sure that he would leave as soon as he gave him the stone. Did the guards let him know that he was cold?  
  
"Then I guess they answered all of your questions?" The pirate asked, "My crew that is."  
  
Keith shrugs, blinking his eyes sleepily as he flexed out his wings again, "They had no information of interest, so they're allowed to roam."  
  
"Your Divinity? Are you alright?" The guard called from the doorway Keith entered, peeking through at the sitting bird, "Did the prisoner attempt to hurt you?"  
  
"I'm fine." Keith stood up, using the wall as support as he shook out his wings, shaking off any remains of fire and making the room go dark again, "I'm just tired and decided to rest a moment before I go back out into the rain again."  
  
"Shall I summon his Lordship?" The guard questioned.  
  
"No." Keith's dark form looked like it shook it's head, "I'll return home. I just wanted to make sure the prisoner was warm."  
  
"As you wish your Divinity." The guard bowed respectfully  
  
"Wait, they're allowed to roam?" Lance questioned as Keith slowly made his way to the cell door. "So you didn't question them?" Feeling that a chance to get answers was fleeing, Lance stood up and followed Keith to the door. "And they're all together?" He asked but as he reached the bars, he paused when the guard pointed a spear at him while Keith walked out.  
  
The guard retreated is weapon as soon as Keith was out, working on locking the door again.  
  
"They're safe and together." Keith confirmed, nodding his head.  
  
Lance let out a sigh of relief, although he wasn't willing to give up asking questions. "Did the guards tell you I was cold? I didn't see anyone move when I asked for a blanket."  
  
Keith looked away for a second, hesitating on answering.  
  
"Are you some kind of a big shot here? Why do they call you your Divinity? What's so divine about you?" Lance probed and as the guard was busy working on the lock, Lance reached out in the moment Keith was looking away, moving to hold his shoulder to gain his attention.  
  
"Who are you? And why did you help me?" He probed further, pushing his luck.  
  
"Do...?" The avian-ish guy hesitated before lighting his wings on fire again and turning to face Lance, "...you not know what a firebird is?"  
  
"Hey!" Lance couldn't help but snap, " _I'm_  the one asking questions here buddy!"  
  
"You'll not speak to his Divinity that way!" The guard raised his spear threateningly, pointing it right at Lance's neck and hissing hatefully, but the firebird placed a pale hand on his shoulder and stopped him.  
  
"Don't." Keith shook his head, "He hasn't actually hurt anyone yet."  
  
"Other than Baku." The guard growled, "And your brother."  
  
"You know the rules." Keith placates, brushing the weapon away, "Once they're on the island they get a chance. He hasn't hurt anyone since."  
  
"But..." The guard protested.  
  
"Shhh." Keith moved his hand off the weapon, "We are unharmed, and our pride is not so brittle."  
  
Then Keith turned to face Lance, his violet eyes locking with blue, a small pang of familiarity shot through him, and he couldn't help the aching feeling of sadness in his chest. He reached a pale hand up to his chest, clutching the silk over it and twisting lightly, "I'm Keith."  
  
"Yeah, I got that." Lance brushed off, "But that doesn't actually answer my questions."  
  
Keith tilted his head to the side, frowning a bit, "It's raining and you're in a dungeon. It makes sense you were cold. You also tried to escape, so the guards wouldn't bring you anything. I couldn't leave you like that."  
  
"And you just thought of me randomly like that?" The pirate asked skeptically as the guard finished locking the lock. Lance had his hands on the bars now, eyes never leaving Keith's own. "That's really generous of you but I'm not buying it." People always wanted something in return for their kindness. That's how the world works.  
  
"I know you're some kind of a big shot if you can go around and do anything you want." Lance said, feeling strange in the presence of the firebird, "You're different." He didn't know what it was but he felt like this avian-ish guy was different from the rest. Not only in the fact that he was 'his Divinity' but also something else, "The air around you is... strange."  
  
"I _am_ firebird." Keith shrugged, uncaring, "I'm going to be different from mer."  
  
"That's not what I meant and you know it." Lance frowned, not liking this guy's evasiveness.  
  
"You came here for the islands treasure without even knowing what it is." The raven haired boy shrugged, "Well, here I am. Congratulations. Now I've got to get back before my brother finds out I snuck out to give you that stone."

Lance paused for a second, watching in confusion as Keith turned to walk away. What? This guy must be playing with him. Does he really think he'll fall for something like this?  
  
"You expect me to believe that your sorry ass is the treasure? Ha! You got another thing coming then birdy. I'm not buying anything you say." But as soon as he said it the guard hissed, pointing his spear towards him again.  
  
"You will not speak to his Divinity in that way. If you do, I'll cut your throat." The guard threatened as Lance took a step back out of the spear's reach.  
  
"Whatever." He decided to ignore the guard and watch as Keith walked away, "You better come up with a better joke next time birdbrain! At least make them better than your terrible hairstyle! A mullet speaks volumes as to who the person who's dumb enough to have it is!"

Keith rubbed his forehead tiredly. He hadn't expected the pirate to be grateful, they rarely were, but he also expected the guy to be smart enough _not_  to openly mock someone of clearly high position when he had a guard openly ready to spear him.  
  
"Stand down." Keith moved the spear away from the pirate, "He's done nothing yet, and we still don't know what he is."  
  
"I'm the most gorgeous captain on the seas." The pirate preened.  
  
Keith shared an unimpressed look with the guard, feeling his own irritation grow. He should have left immediately instead of staying to answer the prisoner’s questions. Well, lesson learned. He wouldn't be staying here and risking getting in trouble any longer.  
  
"You are required to do nothing, least of all believe me." Keith flexed out his wings, ready to take flight, "Your friends are alive and have shelter, food, and warmth. Believe me or don't, it doesn't matter. Don't lose that stone, I won't be returning with another one."  
  
With that said, Keith turned his back on the prisoner, ignoring the strange pang in his chest as he walked away.  
  
Now he'd have to begin the trek back home in a hurricane, with much less energy than before. Keith hummed, stepping out into the heavy rains, feeling the water soak him instantly and weigh down his wings. This whole trip had been a waste of time, he should have just threw the stone at the pirate and been done with it. Now the rains were really starting to pick up, and the wind was howling as it nearly kicked the firebird off his feet.  
  
He couldn't wait to get back to his nest.  
  
' _Run home, little one_.' The hallow voice of the west wind spoke, ' _Run home to your little bed in your little hut.'_  
  
"I'm trying." Keith growled, moving his feet along the sandy shores of the beach, feeling speckles of sand bite against his skin. He reached the treeline of the forest, clenching his hands around the base of the trunk as he pulled himself along. Now protected from the winds a bit and on more solid ground, Keith began his walk in earnest, his wings draping lazily behinds them as they soaked and became dead weight on his back.  
  
This trip had _not_  been worth it.  
  
Keith forcibly pulled himself forward, wiping the rains from his eyes. He had to make it home, back to his warm nest and his brother.

He walked through the forest, fighting the winds as he aimed for his treehouse. It took him a bit of time before he could actually get to his tree but once he reached it, he grabbed the wooden stairs that led up. He had to pause for a second, waiting for the strong gust of wind to pass before he could begin climbing up.  
  
When the wind weakened, he took the chance to climb up, his wings heavy behind him as he climbed. Miraculously, he managed to get up on top, holding onto the wood for support as he ran into his treehouse. Keith sighed in relief once he got in, shaking his body to rid himself of the water droplets. Then he lit himself aflame, weak flames to help him dry from the rain.  
  
Now he was as good as new. Except for the wings... Great. He focused his flames onto them but they were minor ones, conscious that should he use more of his fire, his wooden treehouse would burn.  
  
Keith crawled along the floor of his home, settling his knees on the carpet as he pull one of his wings around to inspect the drenched limb, flames weakly licking at his skin as he tried to spread his feathers between his fingers and dry them out. The peacock-ish tail feathers looked pitifully sad right now, and some of the softer inner feathers had bent. He'd have to even them out, and pluck the ones that were too damaged.  
  
Pale fingers trailed between the feathers, smoothing out what he could, and settling them straight. He picked at the remaining damaged feathers, whining a bit as he plucked them out. He'd have to either hide or burn these later, or maybe turn them over to the healers when the rains stopped.  
  
The firebird clutched his handful of feathers, moving to hide them in a nearby jar, he'd worry about it later.  
  
His wings were dryer now, just enough for him to crawl back into bed and curl up under them for warmth. With a happy sigh, Keith did just that, settling back into his bed with a hum, curling under the wing as he settled himself for some sleep. He was exhausted, and it was easy to let sweet oblivion take him.

 

* * *

 

The guard fiddled with his spear, throwing glances at the cave entrance every few minutes, leaving it clear to Lance that the mer would much rather have gone with the firebird, even if that meant going on land during a hurricane, than stay and guard Lance. But he was firm in his duties, and refused to leave, instead choosing to worry like a mother hen as he repeatedly checked the entrance of the cave for the so-call "treasure" of the island

How dumb.  
  
Lance decided to ignore the guard, walking up to the corner to sit in the same spot he sat in before. Wait... The stone underneath felt strangely warm. He looked to the side at the spot where the avian-ish guy sat, tempted to move. Hmmm... He moved to sit there, pleasantly surprised to find out that the spot was super warm.  
  
He smiled contently, seating himself down. Not only was he warmed up from the bottom, but also from the stone he held. It felt nice, super nice.  
  
He looked at the strange carvings, not willing to brush them off but examining it closely. It was written in a language he didn't know but whatever it said, he didn't care. As long as it was warm, that's all that mattered.  
  
Lance's eyes trailed up to the guard, noting that the mer was still looking at the entrance of the dungeon. If he thought the bird would come back in this rain, then he had another thing coming. Lance huffed, moving to lay down and face the solid rock. He had no interest watching the mer and the rock would give him some illusion of privacy.  
  
"Ouch!" He winced when he felt something poke at him from under the sand, frowning as he brushed it away to reveal a single feather. Lance raised a brow, picking up the feather and holding it in his hand. It must have fallen off when the guy sat down next to him.  
  
Curiously, Lance cleaned the feather, getting rid of the sand that was on it. Once clean, he ran his hand up the soft object, surprised by how soft the single feather was. "Hmmm... If one of your feathers is this soft, then I wonder how your wings would feel like." He whispered to himself in thought, eyes on the feather.  
  
He glanced back at the guard, noting that he was still looking away. He didn't want to risk it. The bird guy was respected among the mer and if he was held in such a high regard, what would they say if they found out he had gotten his hands on one of his feathers? He'd be in trouble.  
  
Lance lowered the feather out of the guard's view, facing the rock as he placed it on the ground in front of his body.  
  
Time to recap.  
  
His crew was safe and they're all roaming the island together in a group. Good. At least that way they won't be in danger. Still, it was frustrating to know that they were all together while he was stuck in here. Would it work if he escaped the second time? The security would be tighter but he could try. There will surely be an opening.  
  
And if he does escape, he would need to stay on land. That is the one mistake he made the first time he escaped and it's a mistake he won't repeat.  
  
Lance sighed, eyes halfway open as he stared at the feather.  
  
Then there was the mullet bird and the guy with black hair. He wasn't sure what they were doing but they both seem pretty important. The black haired man looked stricter in his approach while the firebird was just acting really weird. But in the end, they were both enemies. He can't trust them.  
  
Although one thing that bothered him was how strange he felt around the firebird. There was something mysterious around the guy and he couldn't wrap his head around it. He was just _different_  from the rest in some strange way. Not considering his power of fire, his actions themselves were really weird.  
  
First he came down flying from the sky, appearing before him for no reason at all. Did he want to make sure he was safe? Yeah right! He won't believe that at all, which means that there must have been another reason for it. And then he appeared again, handing him a warm stone as if he _knew_  Lance was cold and needed it.  
  
Strange.  
  
But the guy didn't seem set on answering any of his questions so he'll have to push harder to get the answers he wants. In one way or another, he'll get his answers.  
  
Suddenly the metal door opened, making both him and the guard jump up. Lance quickly hid the feather he held, shoving it into his jacket before sitting up and facing the bars. He watched as three mer emerged from the water, eyes set on him.  
  
"Greetings. How are you doing?" A mermaid asked, facing him fully "Hopefully today you'll be in the mood to answer some of our questions."  
  
Oh... The questioning. Great...  
  
"Depends on what you're asking my lady." He teased, pointing finger guns at the mermaid.  
  
The female mer smiled, leaning her hands against the sand, "Tell me where you came from."  
  
And so another fruitless questioning commenced.

 

* * *

 

Three days passed since Keith ventured down into the dungeons to give the prisoner a rock and since then, there had been no rain. Shiro didn't want to steal Keith's ability to fly for any longer so after that one day, there had only been dark clouds above their heads with no rain in sight.  
  
Keith stretched as he stood up from his bed, spotting his brother who just left his treehouse. He leaned against the window, watching as Shiro began to climb down the ladder. "Any plans for today Shiro?"  
  
The man looked up, a smile appearing on his face as soon as he saw Keith. "Luxia asked if she could talk to me for a bit. She seemed troubled so I'm heading out to see what's wrong."  
  
"Ah." Keith nodded in understanding. Luxia often deferred to Shiro when she was worried about something, and sometimes even when she wasn't. The two had a pretty close friendship, and as the leaders of this island they more often made decisions together than not. For his part, Keith didn't get involved too much. He only really bothered when he was asked for his opinion, "Have fun then."  
  
Shiro nodded, "And what about you? Any plans?"  
  
"Nothing in particular." Keith shook his head, "I might stretch my wings a bit, but I've got nothing planned."  
  
"Why don't you come with me then?" Shiro waved towards the direction of the cove, "You know your opinion is always appreciated, and I could use a lift."  
  
"You overestimate my ability to carry you." Keith smirked, "I might drop you."  
  
"Are you calling me fat?" Shiro's eyes narrowed at him, "Because that sounds like you're calling me fat."  
  
Keith laughed, crawling over the edge of his windowsill and spreading his wings widely, like the peacocks were known to do, showing off the colorful feathers playfully before taking off into the sky, stopping just long enough to goad the older bird, "I'll beat you to the cove!"  
  
"Keith you get back here and help me!" Shiro called after him, but the paler boy had already flown away, heading into the direction of the cove.  
  
The firebird hummed, flapping his wings as he dipped down a bit. It felt good to really fly again, and the wind felt very welcoming today. While the sun wasn't shining, Keith could spot the many creatures of the island going about their day, watching as a boar graciously nibbled at the grass, or a lizard bit at fruit. He could spot some of the prisoners out and about, likely trying to find something to do or hunt food for the day.  
  
Keith didn't bother with them though, he just headed straight for the cove. Flying there only took mere seconds, and Keith landing on his throne with a small stretch, a few mer stopping what they were doing as the watched him descend.  
  
Luxia smiled, watching him sit down on his throne, always pleased to see the firebird in his full glory. "It's good to see you Keith. How have you been doing these past couple of days?" She asked politely, "I hope you'll forgive me for the rain Shiro made the other day. There was a lot of blood on the beaches and it was making us uneasy."  
  
"That's alright." Keith assured, "I used the opportunity to get some rest while it rained outside. It was much appreciated."  
  
"That's good to hear." Luxia and Keith both looked up when they heard thunder nearby, spotting a massive thunderbird flying towards them. And as it flew closer, it slowly began to change shape, a human appeared in place of where the massive bird once was, jumping onto the ground swiftly.  
  
"Thanks for the lift." He shot a questioning look towards his brother who mischievously grinned in reaction. Shiro moved to seat himself on his throne, turning to Luxia. "I received your message Queen Luxia. Did something happen?"  
  
The mer queen sighed, messaging her temple, "Yes. I have two things that trouble me and I would like to ask for your advice on the matter." She sat up, facing both Shiro and Keith as she spoke. "We are making no progress on uncovering the secrets of the carvings we discovered three days ago. The process is slow and so far, we've only reached one hypothesis of what our ancestors may have wanted to tell us."  
  
"And what's that?" Shiro asked curiously.  
  
"You see, the images show our kind interacting with the humans. Blumfump, the leading researcher, thinks that in the past, our kind may have lived in peace with the humans."  
  
"What?" Shiro asked in surprise, sharing a look with Keith before turning to Luxia again.  
  
"It is surprising. However, we also think that the drawings show _why_ exactly we've become so isolated when compared to other supernatural beings. The carvings tell a tale of a mermaid and something she held. Then when that _something_  disappeared, there had been a battle that took place between the mer and the humans. We do not know if the battle really took place but if it really did, then the images hint that it was after this conflict that our kind decided to never interact with the humans again.  
  
"That sounds about right." Keith muttered, blinking as a hazy fog of memory rolled past. Yeah, there was a battle so many lifetimes ago, wasn't there? He couldn't remember it clearly that far back, but it sounded familiar, "That's how these things tend to go. Something happened, a war sparks, cultures change."  
  
"Are you alright Keith?" Shiro frowned a bit, "You weren't there... were you?"  
  
"I don't know. It gets hazier and hazier the further back I go." Keith shook his head, "I can barely remember the endings of my last life, much less the ones that came before."  
  
Luxia and Shiro winched in sympathy.  
  
"But it makes sense, doesn't it?" Keith looks towards the two, both of them having a hand in raising him in a way, and it always seemed like they had the right answers to these kinds of things, "Mer couldn't have always been isolated from other creatures, there had to have been interaction at some point right? Otherwise there wouldn't be so much known about mer culture on the surface."  
  
"That... does seem to make sense..." Luxia pondered the hypothesis for a bit, "Do you remember _anything_  Keith."  
  
Keith hummed, closing his eyes and thinking back, trying to reach far enough to a time he might have lived. He thinks he dies surprisingly often for a firebird, he knows that much, but he's also sure he might have been around back then, because he could vaguely remember wars. Or maybe he was mixing them up? They tended to bleed together in his memories. He tried to recall a battle of mer and men specifically, but all he could remember was a red ocean.  
  
"I think the ocean was red for a year." Keith hums, opening his eyes, "And it was both your faults, but that's all I remember clearly."  
  
"I see..." Luxia lowered her head, clearly troubled by the revelation. "Thank you, I'll relay the information onto Blumfump. As soon as we get a clearer understanding of the images, I'll be sure to let you know right away." She turned to the both of them, smiling softly as she did. "I can't help but feel that our ancestors wish to pass a message onto us. Perhaps there is something that we lost over the course of time?"  
  
Shiro placed his hand on Luxia's shoulder in assurance, eyes meeting those of the mer queen, "Whatever is it, I'm sure you'll be able to uncover it. We're here to help you as well if you need it."  
  
"Thank you. I will do everything in my power not to disappoint you. You've both been very helpful to me and my people, and I don't think that I'll be able to thank you for it enough in my lifetime." She expressed her gratitude by slightly bowing in her throne.  
  
"We're all a family." Keith noted, "We help each other in need."  
  
"You're right. How silly of me." That made Luxia smile even more, "But now we know that there _definitely_  was a war present. It'll help us greatly in uncovering as to how the war began, for what reason, and what occurred after it. There are so many questions that lay uncovered... yet it is hard to think that we discovered the cave by mere coincidence."  
  
"Sometimes the most unexpected things happen when you least expect it. As you said, maybe your ancestors led you there to give you this hidden message?" Shiro suggested.  
  
"Possibly." Luxia nodded in return. "Perhaps it was a good thing the prisoner escaped at the time he did. Without the hunters chasing after him, we wouldn't have discovered the carvings."  
  
"Speaking of the prisoner, any progress on the questioning?" Shiro asked curiously.  
  
Luxia sighed deeply, moving her hand to lean it against her forehead. "That is the second issue I wanted to discuss with you. It's been four days and we still have no answers as to who he is or where he came from. We don't know how he was able to evade our song nor do we have the slightest idea as to how he could have done it. All we do know is that he has a connection to the sea. Perhaps a supernatural creature of the ocean? Still, we don't know of a creature like that who could have a human appearance. Our guess is that he may be a shapeshifter but even then we have no proof."  
  
"And you really didn't find anything?" Keith was the one to ask this time.  
  
"No." Luxia seemed very troubled, massaging her temple now in exhaustion, "You see, he's testing us, playing with us. He has no intention of answering any of our questions and he's very stubborn in his ways. We haven't been feeding him or giving him water for the past three days but even then he's set on keeping silent."  
  
The queen paused for a second, looking up at the two with tired eyes, "We've already sent more than ten mer to question him but each and every one of them have come back to the brink of bursting. The pirate managed to anger and irritate everyone who spoke to him and in the end when they come out of the dungeon, they express their deep desire to feed him to the Baku. Even I have been a victim the first time I visited. He's very demanding and one would have to be extremely patient when dealing with him." Although since even the calm Luxia couldn't handle it, there was no saying if there was anyone who could take this task upon themselves.  
  
"I fear that we may be wasting our time. We can keep him in the dungeon for longer but it would be futile. Even though I wish to know his secrets, I fear that we may have no choice but to feed him to the Baku. More of his kind may appear along with sailors or pirates so we may try our luck with them if they do. However, for this pirate, we've decided to end his life." Luxia informed the two of the decision her people made as well as her own.  
  
"However, before we feed him to the Baku tomorrow, I wanted to ask of your opinion on the matter. Perhaps you may have the answer to this problem we have." She turned to Shiro and then Keith, waiting for any suggestions they may have.  
  
Shiro hummed, clearly thinking over the decision before shrugging in defeat, "If you can't get anything out of him then you can't get anything out of him. Do whatever you think is best."  
  
Keith's chest twisted painfully, not at all comfortable with the thought of killing the pirate. Sure, he was annoying as hell and more than a little ungrateful, but he hadn't exactly done anything explicitly _wrong_  since he'd gotten here. It didn't seem right to just let the pirate die.  
  
"Do we really have to kill him?" Keith frowned, hands gripping the seat of his throne, "He hasn't done exactly done anything to warrant death since he came to the island."  
  
"He is a threat to us." Luxia answered sympathetically, "He has refused all chances at cooperation, wounded and poisoned two of our guardians at one point, escaped our dungeons at least once, and is immune to our songs. Letting such a individual live and roam our shores would be a risk we cannot afford to make."  
  
"He doesn't have weapons anymore." Keith pointed out, "And noting he could craft from the island could hurt us. Our hunters are more than capable of killing him if he attempts to assault us."  
  
"That doesn't change the fact he has a connection to the ocean somehow." Shiro pointed out dutifully, "He has to be able to breath underwater somehow; it's the only way he could have swam through those tunnels."  
  
"Does it matter?" Keith asked, leaning back against his throne, "He still cannot leave."  
  
Shiro frowned a bit.  
  
"What do you mean?" Luxia turned to him with a frown of her own.  
  
"The ocean lead them here." Keith shrugged lazily, violet eyes flickering over the wild expanse of blue, "And it hasn't demanded we let him go. They want him here, and they want to _keep_  him here. Maybe to live, maybe to die, they haven't said, but they have _no_  intention on letting him escape. Even if we _wanted_  to let the prisoners go...we couldn't."  
  
That seemed to perturb them.  
  
"He's no threat." Keith shook his head, "He cannot hurt us, and he cannot leave. Let him go for pity's sake alone."  
  
Luxia and Shiro were both quite a moment.  
  
"You may be letting your nature get the better of you." Shiro reminded him.  
  
"Maybe." Keith shrugged, "But I've burned men before, and I'll burn this one too if I have to. If he breaks the rules, then he dies, we don't _need_  to kill him yet."  
  
Luxia and Shiro shared another long look between the two of them. after a moment, Luxia looked back to him, "Alright Keith, but he's _your_  responsibility if he breaks the rules."  
  
"That's fine." Keith answered, flapping out his wings. He lifted himself from his throne, hovering a bit over his spot, "If that's all then I'm going towards the temple."  
  
Keith, already know that was all and more than ready to end this dark conversation, flying up away from the cove and towards the tree line of the forest, just past the bushes and out of sight off...  
  
"Oooof-" He collided with someone.  
  
Keith pulled away from the other body, wings flaring back as he fell into a defensive stance, ready to defend himself if he had to. His eyes flickered downward, taking in the form of...  
  
The yellow pirate, Hank.  
  
"Are you alright Hank?" Keith reached his hand out, offering to help the bigger man up.  
  
"I'm okay, I'm okay." The yellow pirate promised, taking the offered hand and pulling himself up, "And it's Hunk, by the way, no offense or anything."  
  
"Sorry." Keith shrugged, glancing around them. The man was lucky, they were _just_  out of sight of Luxia and Shiro, who were both deep in discussion now, and the other mer were set about their daily tasks, too busy to notice the land for now. That wouldn't last long though, and it was only a matter of seconds before someone glanced up and saw them. Keith grabbed the man's arm, pulling him deeper into the forest and out of sight, "What were you _doing_  here? Looking for food?"  
  
"Ah yeah! Right! Definitely." Hunk responded quickly, "I was just looking for food! Definitely not spying or anything! Nope! Not me!"  
  
"So you were listening." Keith gave the other a knowing look, obviously seeing right through the pirate. "I doubt that would be useful if you want to survive on the island."  
  
"O-Oh..." Busted.  
  
Hunk worriedly lowered his gaze, looking down at the ground before his eyes met Keith's again, "Listen, could you please help me get my friend? You all agreed to let him go so can I go with you to pick him up?" He wasn't sure if the firebird would agree but it was worth the try.  
  
Keith hummed in thought, unsure, "I was on my way to the temple. I'm sure you'll see him when the mer let him go."  
  
"But your friends are still talking about it." Hunk pointed to both Shiro and Luxia down below. "What if they change their minds? Please? Our group really feels incomplete without him."  
  
Keith didn't want to bother with the prisoner anymore, especially after he got insulted by the said pirate many times while he was helping him fight off the cold. However, his generous nature got the better of him, already feeling himself agreeing to help the yellow pirate. "Fine." And he really agreed in the end, "But I'll only go with you to get him in the dungeon. After that, you're both on your own."  
  
Hunk beamed, nodding his head rapidly, "Of course! Thank you so much for your help. I really, really appreciate it man." He felt so much better now that Keith agreed.  
  
And with that, Keith flew down onto the ground, waiting for Hunk to follow him. Once the human got down from the tree, Keith led him towards the shore and into the dungeon. He could see that the yellow pirate was nervous as he entered and quickly shivered as soon as the cold of the dungeon winds hit him.  
  
The walk to the cell wasn't long and as soon as they reached it, Keith spotted the guard that was on duty now. The mer noticed him immediately, bowing his head respectfully. "Your Divinity, what can I do for you?"  
  
"Queen Luxia, Shiro, and I have decided to free the prisoner. We see no further use in keeping him here so I've come to release him." He told the guard who seemed relieved more than anything.  
  
"Of course. Let me open the lock." The mer guard turned, working on the lock while Hunk approached the bars, looking inside. He spotted Lance close to the wall on the other side, a smile quickly forming on his face.  
  
"Lance!" He called out, and as soon as he did, the blue pirate shot right up.  
  
"Hunk? Hunk!" Lance stood up, hurriedly walking up to the bars, "How did-" He wanted to ask how Hunk managed to get inside but was stopped when the other pirate hugged him tightly from behind the bars.  
  
"I was so worried! We thought you died out in the wild!" Hunk cried, sniffing as he did.  
  
Lance didn't have it in him to complain so he moved his arms around the other, returning the embrace. "I missed you too Hunk. You have no idea how glad I am to see your face." And as they parted, Lance noticed Keith just on the side next to his companion, "Unlike mullet head over here." He grumbled, "What're you doing here?"  
  
"Getting you out of the cell. You're welcome." Keith folded his arms while the guard finished unlocking the door. Lance gathered all of his things, as well as the warm stone he held before taking a step out.  
  
"Suspicious." Lance eyed the firebird, looking him up and down.  
  
Keith sighed, intending to leave, "I'll take my leave now. The both of you should be able to find your way out of here alone."  
  
The two pirates blinked, watching as Keith took a few steps forward. Hunk was unsure if he remembered the way clearly while Lance called out after the bird, "Hey! Wait a second!"  
  
Keith turned in response, raising a brow as he watched Lance walk up to him. The pirate reached out into his pocket, taking out a big pinkish seashell that had blue ends all around it. "Here. This is for you." He raised it up for Keith to take. "It's nothing special but it's the best thing I could find in this dump."  
  
Keith blinked, shyly taking the shell from between tanned fingers, honestly not expecting the gift from the blue pirate. He turned it over in his hands, examining it thoroughly, it certainly wasn't in the best of shape, but it had its own charm. He'd received a few shells from the mer over the years, some much finer or larger than this, but this one was cute and colorful.  
  
Almost like...  
  
No, that wasn't it, he was just being an idiot and reading too much into this.  
  
"Thank you." Keith nodded, holding the shell big shell between his two hands, looking back towards the pirates as he held onto the new addition to his collection. He'd have to find the perfect place to display it in his treehouse. Somewhere safe, but where he could see it...  
  
No, stop it.  
  
"Is there a reason for such a fine gift?" Keith asked the pirate, his wings unconsciously puffing out and preening at the attention, he had to forcibly reign them in and remind himself that he was _not_  going to show off his feathers in this situation, "Do you want me to bless it?"  
  
"What, no." Lance frowned, "That's just a gift birdbrain, for the stone, I don't want to owe a jerk like you."  
  
"Oh." Keith shuffled a bit, unsure what to do now.  
  
A silence descended between the three of them, and Keith could only flicker his eyes between the two tense pirates, the yellow pirate's eyes flickering between them like he couldn't believe what was happening, while the blue pirate's whole body was tense as his blue eyes locked onto the firebird.  
  
"It's a beautiful gift." Keith decided to finish, "I accept it."  
  
The blue pirate sighed, seemingly in relief, and his body untensed.  
  
"I suppose I'll head to the temple now and give you two some privacy." Keith nodded, turning as he started to walk out the cell, spreading his wings and ready to take off and reach his destination.  
  
"W-wait." Hunk called out, stopping the firebird from leaving immediately. He sounded nervous, making the firebird frown and wonder what was wrong as he turned back towards the to. The bigger pirate looked nervous now, shuffling in place like a child, "I know you already did a lot for us today, but could you show us the way out of here. I know it isn't a big island, but I've already gotten lost a lot and Lance doesn't know the way..."  
  
Violet eyes blinked at the yellow pirate, "Where do you want to go? The temple? The shelters? The hot springs?”  
  
"Hot springs?" Lance perked up at that, "You're saying that there are hot springs on this island?"  
  
"Yes." Keith nodded, "There are spring waters near the volcano. They're warm and help relieve stress."  
  
"We're going!" The blue pirate beamed but the sudden protest of his stomach begged to differ. He blushed before turning and scratching the back of his head. "But before that, could we go get something to eat? I didn't eat for three days. I could use some non-salt water too."  
  
"And we should probably reunite with everyone else before going to the springs." Hunk added, "We've all been worried so I'd like to let them know that Lance is okay."  
  
Keith listened to their requests, nodding as he held his new shell. He wanted to go to the temple but... maybe he could help them out a bit? "I'll take you to your friends then. I'm sure they already gathered fresh food and fresh water from the lakes." That sounded like a solid plan.  
  
"Thanks man." Hunk smiled, "You're a really nice guy."  
  
"What? Him?" The brunette huffed, "He's as mysterious as a person can be. But then again, that gives him bonus points. Ladies love mysterious types. Not to mention all the feathers he has. I'm sure you have a line of ladies swooning over you mullet."  
  
Keith tilted his head, cringing a bit at the idea of _anyone_  lining up to see him, the thought made him...uncomfortable. He moved to place the shell in the folds of his clothing, making sure it was safe before turning back to his companion, "Come on, you need to eat."  
  
"Yeah, yeah mullet." Lance huffed, folding his arms.  
  
"Thanks again for this man." Hunk hummed happily as the three of them exited the cells. The guard readied his weapon, ready to strike down the two pirates if they made any sudden moves.  
  
"Calm down." Keith waved at them, "If they try to hurt me...you'll know."  
  
The guard grumbled as he placed his weapon down, bowing his head and backing off. Keith motioned for the pirates to follow him, leading them out of the caves and into the wilds of the forest. He tilted his head, listening out for the animals of the forest, determining the safest path for the three of them to take. Violet eyes flickered upward, the thick tree line keeping the light rain from falling to the ground, keeping the grounds mostly dry. Shiro's wings must have summoned them here.  
  
Keith tilted his head, listening to the forest hum, matching the tune as he moved through the trees.  
  
The good thing about living on a small island? It didn't take long for Keith to lead the two pirates where they needed to be.

And as soon as they spotted the rest of the pirates just behind the bushes, Lance was the first one to jump in joy, "Guys!"  
  
They turned, noticing their lost friend, "Lance!" Dropping everything they were doing, they ran up to him, hugging him tightly on all sides.  
  
"We thought you died!" Matt sniffed, holding his arms as everyone bundled together in a big hug.  
  
"Yeah! We thought the creatures ate you! But then again, you're too dumb to die idiot." Pidge grumbled, wiping away the tears that were about to escape her.  
  
"It's a relief to see you again. Now my remaining crew is all together again." Allura noted in relief while the brunette frowned. Great, and just when he was getting emotional with their reunion.  
  
"I'm the captain Allura. We all know that." He looked up at her, the said female pirate immediately narrowing her eyes.  
  
"Quite the opposite. In your absence, everyone has agreed to follow my leadership. I am and always will be the captain of the Blue Lion." She fought back, their hug now broken.  
  
Lance folded his arms, ready for a comeback, "I can't help it that-"  
  
"You do realize that there is no 'Blue Lion' anymore?" Pidge raised her finger up, attention now on her. "Neither of you can be captain if you don't have a ship."  
  
The two turned to Pidge with shock in their eyes, the sudden realization hitting them head on like a heavy boulder. They both stood frozen in place, unmoving before lowering their gazes. Lance clenched his fist, mourning the loss of his beloved ship. "Maybe there is a way." He whispered before he looked up at everyone again. "We can try to bring Blue back"  
  
"What?" Hunk asked in surprise. "How?"  
  
"Easy." Lance slowly gained on confidence, "Leave it to your captain, and I'll bring our maiden back no problemo."  
  
Keith watched in confusion, unable to believe such a ridiculous statement. "There's no way to bring back a sunken ship." He said firmly, everyone turning to face him now. "Your ship is long gone."  
  
"Says the one who sunk her." Lance snorted, "You do know it's your fault, right?"  
  
"I was defending myself and my family." Keith defended, "It's your own fault for coming here in the first place."  
  
"You..."  
  
"Ah! Lance! We should eat!" Hunk spoke up, turning to everyone, "Did you guys know there is a hot springs near the volcano? Keith just told Lance and I about it."  
  
"Hot springs!?" Both Pidge and Matt exclaimed in surprise, listening closely. "Where!?"  
  
"Up there." Keith pointed to a spot just next to the volcano. "The hot springs are large and filled with boiling water. However, it should be cool enough for humans like you to enter."  
  
"Sweet!" Pidge raised her hand in the air victoriously, although she still composed herself, clearing her throat, "You're still the enemy so don't you dare serve us as lunch to the beasts."  
  
Keith looked away, folding his arms, "I wouldn't do such a lowly thing."  
  
"That's right!" Coran agreed, "I believe that we can trust Keith on this. A divine being such as him would never do such a thing as lie."  
  
"I don't believe it." Lance chirped, "That mullet is evil, I know it."  
  
"He's far from evil Lance." Coran scolded, stroking his moustache, "Firebirds are divine and holy. They can't lie because they have the purest of hearts. Lying isn't something they know how to do."  
  
"Right..." Lance rolled his eyes.  
  
"So! Tell us about the hot springs." Pidge and Matt both walked up to the firebird, intent on asking as many questions as they could.  
  
Meanwhile, Hunk used the chance to push Lance to the side, the two of them silently whispering between themselves, "Was that a courting gift?" Hunk asked anxiously, "Lance, do you even know who he is?"  
  
The brunette blinked in confusion before frowning, "Of course. He's a chicken on fire with a mullet. What worse a combo can you get?"  
  
"No, no, that's not what I mean." Hunk turned back, eyes moving to look at Keith as he conversed with Pidge and Matt before turning back towards his best friend, "He's a firebird. A divine being. You can't court him."  
  
"He started it Hunk." Lance defended, "I was cold in the dungeon and I literally thought I'd die of how cold it was before he came down and gave me this incredibly warm stone. It was really warm and round, and just _perfect_. I don't know how he knew I needed it but I'm positive that it was a courting gift. And that's not all! When he left, I found one of his feathers on the ground." Lance showed Hunk the round stone he had with him, along with the feather. However, as soon as Hunk saw them, he hid them back into his jacket.  
  
"A feather?" Hunk quirked a brow.  
  
"Yes! At first I thought it fell off by itself but as I thought about it more, I came to the conclusion that it must be another courting gift. I bet he left it there on purpose. He must be the shy type, and I get it. He was probably scared to give it to me directly."  
  
Hunk listened closely, and truly, he couldn't believe his ears. "And you really think a firebird is trying to court you?"  
  
"Why not?" Lance answered simply, "I came here seeking love so if it's coming from someone I didn't expect, I'll roll with it. I returned a gift so he should get the memo that I accept his courting, right? I decided to give it a go."  
  
"And you're sure about this? I mean, he's not a mer."  
  
"I know, but I'll try. Who knows, maybe the mullet isn't so bad? I'll never forgive him for what he did to Blue but I'm willing to overlook it if he decided to court me. Love is all about adventure Hunk. You gotta test the waters to see if you really click with the person you have your eyes on."  
  
"Okay..." The other pirate wasn't so sure, especially considering the fact that Lance may have misunderstood Keith's intentions. It sure sounded like it. It wouldn't be the first time his best friend's heart was broken just because people didn't understand the principle of courting. Lance had his heart broken many times when the people he gave gifts to didn't return them so Hunk feared the same things would happen here.  
  
"I'm not trying to say Keith doesn't know about courting but... What if he doesn't?"  
  
"Don't be silly." Lance brushed it off, "Of course he knows. He lives among the mer. He knew it when he gave me that stone and left the feather behind, I'm sure of it."  
  
"Uhhh..."  
  
"That aside." Lance placed his hand on Hunk's arm, "You have to help me find a second courting gift. It must be something appealing, something... shiny. Think we can find something like that?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe?" Hunk decided that the best thing to do would be to play along.  
  
"Great! We'll go looking for it-" Lance's stomach grumbled loudly, reminding the pirate that he hadn't eaten anything in three days. "Food. I'm starving Hunk."  
  
"Alright buddy. Come here, we collected some food while you were in the dungeon." And so the two made their way to the supplies the group collected.  
  
"There used to be a Naga around the springs." Keith informed the small, green, pirate as he found himself sitting cross-legged on the ground, somehow finding himself being dragged into conversation with the two siblings, "It was venomous and fed off some of the mer here. It made a home around the springs to keep warm, but Shiro killed it when we first settled onto the island."  
  
"Naga huh?" The older brother leaned forward, scratching his chin, "That's impressive. You don't happen to still have the body somewhere, do you? Their teeth and scales sell well."  
  
"That was years ago." Keith shrugged, resting his wings across his body like a shawl, "I was a babe then, just going through rebirth, I don't know what Shiro did to the body."  
  
"Fuck." Matt cursed, "I'm sure Coran would've liked to see it. What about other creatures? Any we should know about?"  
  
"Not much on land." Keith shrugged, "There are a few things, but nothing with a particular taste for flesh. You should be perfectly safe in the woods, provided you're not out during a storm or attacking the mer. There's some venomous snakes, but I can heal you if you get bitten. It's the ocean you should worry about, there's plenty there."  
  
"What about this Shiro guy?" Pidgeon leaned forward, her bird squawking on her shoulder, repeating Shiro's name a few times before she continued, "He's the thunderbird, right?"  
  
"Yeah." Keith nodded, "My brother is the thunderbird."  
  
"Is he going to say anything about us being in the spring?" Matt leaned forward, "No offense, but I don't think we're exactly on his good side, and I don't wanna risk pissing him off."  
  
"Shiro's the reason you're alive right now." Keith replied, deciding to groom his feathers as he answered the questions, "As long as you don't attack the mer or try and take me then he doesn't care where you go."  
  
Keith paused for a moment, "...Except our treehouse. That's private, stay away from there unless you're somehow invited."  
  
"Keith! My boy!" The orange pirate, Coran, walked forward, "If you're done speaking about the springs I have many questions of my own I would love to ask you!"  
  
"That's fine." Keith nodded, "But I won't answer it they get too personal."  
  
"That's understandable." The older pirate was content with that, seating himself down, "If you don't mind, I'll ask the questions and you can answer them on your own choosing. Also, you don't have to answer any questions you don't want to." He was sure to inform the firebird of this, showing his deep respect and consideration.  
  
"First, I can't help but notice that your feathers are lighter in color. I heard that this is because a firebird has began a new life cycle. Is that true? Second, how do you communicate with the gods? Is it done during your dreams? Or do you have visions perhaps?" Coran paused for a second, giving Keith time for the questions to sink in.  
  
"Do you remember all of your past lives clearly? Or are some of them hazy? And lastly, have you ever met a fellow firebird? I know they're rare but since you're immortal, I imagine that you would have met another at some point in your existence." The older pirate then raised his hands up worriedly.  
  
"Of course, you don't have to answer anything at all. The last thing I want to do is be offensive to such a being like yourself." He bowed slightly, showing he means it.  
  
"None of those are _too_  personal." Keith nods, brushing his fingers through his feathers, letting the man see the mixing colors, "I'm young in this cycle. I've been alive less than fifty years."  
  
Coran frowned a bit, "Is that rather young?"  
  
"For my kind? Yes." Keith frowned a bit, blinking past the haze of memories. He'd been through a lot of cycles, hadn't he? He died sparingly often for an undying creature, hadn't he? He frowned a bit, feeling his stomach churn at the thought.  
  
Deciding to move on, Keith answered the next question, "When I communicate with the gods I simply...talk to them. They whisper in my ear and I respond. Well, the ones with voices do. Sometimes visions happen when they want to show something important, but that's usually a sign things have gone horribly wrong. Visions are bad. Dreams are okay, but visions are bad."  
  
Keith shook his head, the memory of an ocean once dyed red flashing through him, the memory fresher than the others after he had looked for it. He bit his lip, deciding that such a memory is unimportant right now, "Memories. I'm not sure. I think I start to remember more as I get older, but they get hazy the further back I try to remember right now. I've been through a few cycles, and I think it always gets harder to remember the ones that came before. They're still there, but it's hard to find, they bleed together."  
  
Keith made a frustrated noise. "I don't _remember_  ever meeting another firebird. I know there was one active in the North while I was living in the western desert lands in my last life, so I know they're out there, but I can't ever remember running into one. We're...incredibly hard to create from what I remember, so I might not ever run into one."  
  
"I see." Coran nodded, fascinated by what he learned, "All of this is fascinating. I would surely love to learn more about your kind. Information concerning firebirds is very scarce. That is of course if you don't mind me asking in the future."  
  
Keith considered it for a second but didn't see any harm in it so he supposed that was fine, "As long as they're not personal, I don't mind it."  
  
"Hey mullet!" Lance called over, walking up to where Keith, Coran, Pidge and Matt were all seated, "Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat? We have meat and berries in the shelter." He took a few steps forward so that he stood right in front of the firebird, "Want some?" He held out two plates of food, one with meat and the other with berries."  
  
"I can't eat meat." Keith moved to take the berries from the tanned pirate, "But thank you for the berries."  
  
"What?" Lance frowned at that, moving the meat away from the firebird, "Why?"  
  
"I don't remember." Keith shrugged, "I just know I can't. I eat fruits and vegetables most of the time."  
  
"What do you do during winter?" Matt asked, taking the plate of meat for himself.  
  
"Shiro has a garden." Keith shrugged, picking at the berries and taking a sniff before moving to take a bite, humming at the tart taste, "And there's a tree blessed by the forest god that never stops growing mangos."  
  
"Hunk would like that." Pidge hummed, "We'll have to find it later."  
  
"It's by my treehouse." Keith waved vaguely towards the direction of his rooms, "Be careful though, I live right next to a shallow lagoon mer children like to play in. They'll nip at your toes if you get too close."  
  
"Sounds like they've done it before." Pidge snickers.  
  
"They like it when I get close because I can fly over the water." Keith wiggles his toes, shaking the bottomless pearl sandal woven over his foot, "They like to practice launching themselves out the water at me. Their mothers always stop them though."  
  
"Those kids know what's up." Lance grinned, seating himself down and joining the group, "But doesn't it get boring? I mean, you're on the island all the time, right? You must be tired of it already."  
  
Keith hummed in thought, looking up at the sky, "Not really. Every day brings about new happenings. It never gets boring on the island."  
  
"Are you a grandpa type of a guy?" Pidge asked while biting on some of the meat, "Don't tell me you like solving puzzles and that kind of stuff."  
  
Keith tilted his head to the side because yes, he did like puzzles from time to time. "I do."  
  
"I knew it!" Pidge grinned, biting victoriously into her meat yet again.  
  
The firebird frowned, not understanding what it was exactly that he said wrong.  
  
"Geez mullet... Not only do you have a terrible hairstyle, but you also have terrible habits? Damn..." Lance grumbled in disappointment, taking a plate of food from Hunk who walked over to them.  
  
"Moving away from the topic." The bulkier pirate sat down, "How are we going to raise Blue from the sea? It's impossible."  
  
"Oh no it's not!" Lance raised his hand up, "I shall bring my maiden back to the sunlight!"  
  
"And how do you plan to do it?" Allura asked warily, leaning against a tree, "We don't have the necessary tools to do it."  
  
"We don't." Lance agreed, "But we do have allies in the sea."  
  
Keith blinked at that, eating his berries as he listened closely.  
  
"You guys will stay on the shore while I swim towards Blue. The fish will then help me raise Blue up and carry her onto the sand. Voila! Then we work on fixing her damages." The tanned pirate explained with a wide grin, taking a huge bite of his meat.  
  
"No fish is powerful enough to lift Blue up." Allura noted, "It won't work."  
  
"Not unless I find big fish." Lance replied easily, "I have this covered."  
  
"I know you're probably not going to listen to my advice." Keith started, stomach turning at the idea of Lance trying to _swim_  and negotiate with one of the monsters in the water, "But I'd like to go ahead and tell you that that's an incredibly stupid idea that's likely to get you killed. This isn't even me trying to get you not to leave the island, I'm warning you that the idea is suicidal at _best_."  
  
"Like I'm going to believe you _mullet_." Lance scolded at the raven haired boy, "You're underestimating the great Lancey Lance! Finest captain on the seas!"  
  
"I'd like to remind you, once again, that I am captain." Allura scolded, hands on her hips.  
  
"And I'd like to remind everyone that there are _monsters_  in the water." Hunk bit his lip worriedly, looking over to Keith, "What's _in_  there exactly? You said there was a kraken? And we _know_  about Baku."  
  
Keith blinked, but he was honestly glad _someone_  was taking his advice, "There is a kraken, yes, the mer raised it from egghood, and Baku is sentient so he'll likely still be pissed about being shot, and there's a water Naga living somewhere out there, and a lost kelpie somewhere out there too. There's a few other things...like..."  
  
Keith froze.  
  
' _Child, child_." The ocean cooed.  
  
"What?" Keith turned toward the ocean water, standing as he dropped the berries in his lap, his wings flapping gently behind him as he moved to the shore's edge, the slightest bit of sea water brushing against his toes. He kneeled down a bit, glaring at the cool water, "What do you want?"  
  
' _Under the sea_.' The familiar, burning, voice of the sun called.  
  
' _Away from the sea_.' The ocean's called, ' _For now_.'  
  
"That is not clear." Keith brushed his hands against the water, letting the cool liquid over his fingers, "What's away from the sea?"  
  
Neither god answered, instead, the west wind cried into his ears, ' _Bring the storms when the ships come.'_  
  
"What ships?" Keith asked, tilting his head, "The Blue Lion?"  
  
None answered.  
  
"Are any of you even trying to tell me the same thing?" Keith asked, "Should I go to the temple?"  
  
' _No lions on the sea_.' The ocean answered, ' _Not today_."  
  
"When?" Keith asked, frowning.  
  
_'Another day.'_ The ocean purred.  
  
' _He comes little bird_.' The sun booms, ' _Burn him_.'  
  
"Who's coming?" Keith frowned, feathers ruffling, annoyed now, a headache blooming underneath his eyes. Gods didn't typically act like this, what was even going on?  
  
' _Zarkon comes_.' The sun booms, ' _He wants child_.'  
  
"I have no idea who that is." Keith turned to face the pirates, "Who's Zarkon and why does the sun god want me to burn him?  
  
"Zarkon?" Coran asked, slowly realizing who Keith was talking about, "You mean Emperor Zarkon?"  
  
"That must be the guy. He's the only Zarkon around." Lance grumbled, all of the pirates suddenly turning deadly serious.  
  
"Zarkon is the ruler of the avians. He's a ruthless emperor who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He travels the lands, destroying villages, towns and cities in his wake. Many lives have been lost due to his cruel ways." Coran told, eyes meeting Keith's own, "His empire is the _Galra Empire,_ and he's been ruling over it ever since it's foundation not long ago."  
  
"But why would the gods talk of him?" Allura asked anxiously, "Could it be that he's sailing towards the island?"  
  
"Right now?" Pidge stood up from her spot on the ground.  
  
"He may be..." Coran looked at Keith worriedly, "He may be after the firebird's power."  
  
"An emperor?" Keith raised an eyebrow, "One of those haven't hunted me in...three?...Four lifetimes?"  
  
"That's...not reassuring." Allura frowned harshly, "Zarkon isn't like other emperors. He's ruthless, more so than anyone else."  
  
"There are always men like that." Keith hummed, rolling his eyes up a bit at hazy memories, "How does he know I'm here though? We've never let anyone know of the island's treasures  
  
"Rumors spread around." Pidge shrugged, "He might have decided to come here on a whim? Or maybe one of your mer betrayed you and sold you out to Zarkon?"  
  
"They would never do that!" Keith raised his voice at that, not appreciating the comment at all. "None of the mer would do such a thing."  
  
Pidge held her hands up in defense, "S-Sorry! It was just a suggestion."  
  
"An unnecessary one." Keith grumbled, turning to face the sea again.  
  
Coran was more than concerned, fearing for Keith's safety as well as their own, "We'll have to calm down first everyone." He tried to handle this with care, especially since the firebird was involved. "Zarkon's ships will take approximately a month to get here at the very least. It does depend on where he's sailing from but since the Cursed Island is as isolated it is, it will take him a bit of time to get here."  
  
"And we have that time to prepare." Allura agreed.  
  
"But why should we help?" Pidge folded her arms, "The last time I checked, we were prisoners on this island."  
  
"That-" Keith turned to face them with a scowl when all of a sudden he felt a wave of pain hit him. He fell to his knees with wide eyes, holding onto his head tightly.  
  
"Keith?"  
  
"Keith!?"  
  
_A vision of a dark place appeared._  
  
_There was fire on all sides and everything was burning._  
  
_The skies were black, as black as coal._  
  
_There were screams of innocent children, women and men as they tried to run away from the massacre that was all around. Dark creatures roamed the town, killing anyone they laid their eyes upon with spears, piercing through innocent bodies as they fell down onto the ground._  
  
_Blood was everywhere. Pools of blood._  
  
_There was a tall figure of a man before him, holding a sword covered with blood._  
  
_Keith's eyes were barely open, moving his hand to see the blood that was on it. His chest was bloody as well._  
  
_Everything was in red._  
  
_'You are a fool to face me on your own.' The figure of a dark man that stood in front of him spoke._  
  
_'These humans have made you weak.'_  
  
_The man, no, a creature of black, raised his sword, pointing it towards Keith as the blood that was on it splashed against his face._  
  
_'Love is but a feeble thing.'_  
  
_'It is a plague that spreads across time. Blinding us from what it truly important.'_  
  
_'For a being like you, love is the worst form of torture.'_  
  
_The man laughed now. Laughing among the many screams and pleas for help. There was no sun at all... Everything was pitch black, as if it was night, even though it wasn't._  
  
_'That's why I have come to end your suffering.'_  
  
_'You will die and grant me your gifts.'_  
  
_'Only then can you finally rest.'_  
  
_The man raised his sword, aiming for Keith's heart. Violet eyes widened, fear coursing through his entire being as he stared death in the eyes._  
  
_'Keith!'_  
  
_A new voice appeared._  
  
_Everything happened in the span of a second._  
  
_There was more blood as the sword pierced through a body in front of him, shielding him._  
  
_Keith felt his body shiver, eyes meeting those of a person he knew that saved him._  
  
_He felt incredible sorrow settle into his very being, staring at the eyes that were slowly losing life._  
  
_Then a smile, and it was that smile that made tears fall down Keith's bloody cheeks./_  
  
_A shaking hand touched his cheek, losing strength._  
  
_'I-I'm... s-sorry...'_  
  
_'I lo-lov.... y...o...u...'_  
  
_The body fell in front of him and Keith found himself in a pool of blood that wasn't his own._  
  
_The laughter of the dark man was louder now, pure joy could be felt within it._  
  
_A complete contrast to the suffering around them._  
  
"N-No... No!"  
  
Keith heard himself scream and then as soon as it began, the vision vanished.

 

* * *

 

Hunk pulled Pidge back, throwing the girl away as a wild stream of flame shot past, scrambling away to avoid the wild blast of fire. The girl landed with an "oof" on the sands, just out of reach. The other's scrambled, throwing themselves out of range as the fires spread. Keith's screams became a loud cry. An inhuman shriek that pierced the very air around them.  
  
Hunk started crying.  
  
The sound must have spread across the whole island, because thunder rolled, and droplets of rain fell as darks clouds blocked off what little sun there had been. The thunderbird appeared, seemingly out of nowhere with its own shrieking cry, and grabbed the flaming bird between its giant talons. Rain fell heavy now as the thunderbird _dived_  into the sea, taking Keith with him, sending a small wave splashing onto the shore.  
  
All was quiet then, the air suddenly empty without the inhuman cries, only the pitter-patter of rain against the ocean and the distant sound of thunder left filling the void.  
  
A human head popped out of the water a moment later, dragging a sagging Keith along with him. Two mer followed them, dragging the two near the shore. Other mer popped their heads out of the water, a whole shoal, yelling in confusion and throwing questions around wildly.  
  
The human man crawled onto the shore, throwing up water as he did, still dragging Keith behind him with the help of the mer. Once he was settled onto land, he pulled the now flailing Keith into his arms, holding him down.  
  
"Keith! Keith! Calm down." The man held on the smaller boy, unmindful as Keith's nails scratched at his arms, "It's over, it's done."  
  
"I died." Keith scratched, hands clawing at the arm, his wings flailing wildly behind him. "I died, I'm going to die."  
  
"Keith, what did you see?" The human, Shiro, the thunderbird, pulled the boy into an even tighter hug as he tried to calm him down, "Was it a vision or a memory? Keith? What did you see?"  
  
"My ashes." Keith's wings fluttered uselessly, fires dying down under the heavy rain, "He wanted my ashes."  
  
"Keith, please. You're going to upset the sun."  The mer and the pirates both watched as Shiro tried to calm the frantic Keith down. Keith's actions only caused them to worry further as his wings tried to light a flame but due to the heavy rain, the weak fire only kept dying out. However, that is not to say that Keith didn't try, working his hardest to create a flame even though he knew he couldn't.  
  
It was pitiful to watch, especially for a being such as the firebird.  
  
But as Keith screamed and struggled, Lance watched him with conflicted eyes. A warm wave blew past him, hand clenching his chest while a mysterious feeling of sorrow washed over him. His blue eyes looked at Keith's pained face, the way he tried to resist and fight evils that weren't _there._ _  
  
No.  
  
_ _They_ were there. Haunting him in forms of visions and dreams.  
  
Lance heard whispers coming from the sea, turning towards it as the wind blew against him again. They were silent, whispering in many voices at once.  
  
' _Go to him._ ' They said, the wind blowing as the rain fell.  
  
Without thinking, Lance took a step forward, walking up to Keith and the struggling Shiro.  
  
"Buddy?" Hunk noticed him, watching in surprise as he made his way to the two birds.  
  
There was a force pulling him to the struggling fire. Something he couldn't explain. And that's why when he got close enough, Lance kneeled down beside them, reaching out to take Keith's hand.  
  
The firebird scratched him a couple of times and the fire burned upon contact. But even so he held on tightly, not willing to let go. "Keith, it's okay." He tried, hoping that Keith would hear him over his own screams, "You're safe now. Your family is here, all around you. Look. They're all here, and every single one of them is worried for you. Keith!"  
  
Keith doesn't stop kicking or scratching right away. His violet eyes are glazed over and he's falling back into fight mode, trying to throw himself away form them, his head arching back as he's trapped seeing something lost to the rest of them. The screaming has stopped though, the inhuman sounds behind it dying down until there's nothing more than heavy breaths, and the scratching is getting a lot weaker now that Lance and Shiro are both holding him steady.  
  
The firebird isn't settled at all though. He's kicking helplessly now, head still lolled back and staring blindly out into the unknown, his hands stop scratching altogether, but his arms are struggling to move somewhere. He's squirming now, refusing to settle even as his brother tried to soothe him.  
  
"Keith, shh." Shiro brushed loose strands of hair behind the struggling boy's ear, "Shhh, Keith, it's not real."  
  
"It hurts." Keith lolls, "He's dead."  
  
"Who's dead Keith?" Shiro asked, before shaking head squeezing the boy's hand, "It doesn't matter, it's not real."  
  
"They're all dead." Keith blinked, eyes still hazy, "The blade, the bodies, they're gone now. Marmora, their bodies are gone. He'll eat my ashes whole."  
  
"Keith." Lance pulled the boy's head against him, holding it in place and brushing the hair as he rocked the boy back and forth, "Hey, hey, can you hear us? It's okay, none of that is happening right now."  
  
"I hear you." Keith answers, and it's cohesive even if Keith is turning his eyes blindly, "I can't see you."  
  
"We're right here." Lance reassured, "We were talking about how you sunk my ship, remember? We're on a beach at the island, you're going to show Pidge the hot springs."  
  
"Keith, you're home." Shiro, catching on to what Lance was doing, joined. He held Keith's hand tenderly, brushing his fingers over the knuckles, "We're home, now one can hurt us here."  
  
"I'm...home..." Keith started blinking, eyes still dull, "This was home...they were home..."  
  
"Keith no." Lance tried again, thinking of things he'd seen or heard about the island, "Hot springs, remember? And...and...that mango tree that's always growing, and those kids that like to bite your toes. T _hat's_  home."  
  
"No." Keith shook his head, trying to remember the faces of his dear friends. Those that fought with him in the past, those who followed him wherever he went. They were his _home_  once. His everything. "No... No..."  
  
"It's okay Keith. It's okay." Shiro tried to assure, holding onto the pale hand tightly.  
  
Lance didn't really know what to say. He didn't know anything about Keith, and yet here he was, trying to comfort him in any way he could. The situation he found himself was confusing and puzzling but even if it was, he would still stay and help this person. There was something strange about the firebird, something mysterious he couldn't pinpoint at all. Perhaps it was because of this that he found himself here with Keith's head leaned against him.  
  
It pained him to see this person in such a state. He didn't know why but it did.  
  
"I'm so sorry Keith." He decided to go on and handle the situation as he perceived it, "I'm so sorry for your loss Keith, and I know that anything we say won't change the pain you felt losing them. I'm sure you loved them all." Lance squeezed the other tightly.  
  
"But if they loved you as much as you loved them, then I'm absolutely sure that they wouldn't want to see you this way. What would they say if they saw you broken down like this? They wouldn't want that." Lance spoke softly, "They must be up there in heaven looking down at you right now. You don't want to disappoint them, right?"  
  
Keith sniffed, tears falling down his cheeks.  
  
"It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm sure that they're happy that you found yourself a new family that loves you just as much. And even though they're not here, their wills and dreams reside in you. They live in you Keith so... you're home. Home is where the people that care about you are, and right now, it's the mer and this guy right here. You don't want to worry them, do you?"  
  
Keith's violet eyes looked up at Lance, tears streaming down his face.  
  
"Don't cry." Lance smiled.  
  
"You're stronger than that."  
  
' _You're stronger than that_.'  
  
Keith flinched when a faint blur of another person replaced Lance's face. Their smile as soft as Lance's own, their voices matching. Then they faded away and it was just Lance that remained.  
  
Violet eyes lost a bit of their haze, the pupils widening a bit and refocusing for a moment, turning over as whatever he'd once seen faded away into memory. The firebird regained use of his hands, clutching lightly at Lance's wrists as his head still lolled against the pirates hold. The rain was still heavy, falling against them as continued proof of Shiro's panicked rush to find him.  
  
"I'm here?" Keith asked, pulling a bit away from Lance to look around, trying to remember exactly were _here_  was. The island, his home, and many of the mer were gathered, and Shiro, and...and...  
  
"I'm tired." Keith fell back, and Shiro and Lance both move to catch his head and keep him from hitting the ground. His wings are heavy and useless now, draping sadly behind him, and every part of him felt dull and heavy with them, "I...I need to sleep."  
  
"Keith, was that a memory or a vision?" Shiro pushes the wet locks of inky black hair from violet eyes with his thumbs, trying to all at once be comforting and firm, "I need to know so I can help you."  
  
"Both? Neither?" Keith blinks, his eyes heavy and willing him to rest, "It doesn't matter, they're coming. He's been hunting me for thousands of years."  
  
"Keith? Who?" Shiro pulls him up.  
  
"They know who we are Shiro, they have a witch, I remember now." Keith eyes flicker towards Lance, a horrible vision returning to him, "Let them go Shiro, let them leave. There's no point keeping them here now."  
  
"You said yourself Keith, we can't." Shiro brushed back hair, "Even if we wanted to."  
  
"Then let them repent for whatever they've done." Keith tries, head drooping back again, "Let them figure out why they're here and fix it once the gods will it. And let them flee once they have. They can't tell anyone who won't realize what he's after."  
  
"Alright." Shiro brushed back their hair, "We won't stop them if they try."  
  
"Don't die Lance." Keith tried, "The stone should protect you."  
  
Keith fell into unconsciousness after that, leaving his brother to try and shake him away. The older man, who must have aged well over a hundred years before Lance's very eyes, sighed and gathered the limp firebird in his arms. Impressively lifting the firebird himself despite the heavy weight of the wet wings and body, the man looked so _tired_  and Keith looked _small_  in his arms.  
  
The thunderbird's eyes flickered over Lance tiredly, as if only remembering he was there, "I'll tell Luxia everything that happened. Just know we're not the ones keeping you here anymore. Try not to die while escaping, we don't control everything in the water."  
  
With that, the man starting carrying the firebird over to the mer.

Lance watched them as they went, the mer reaching out to help support Keith while in water. They were being extra careful while trying to keep his head above the surface, slowly swimming along the shore to take him back to his treehouse. The man with black hair swam with them, the group slowly disappearing in the distance.  
  
"What was that?" Matt asked in wonder, the rest of the pirates approaching as they all stood beside Lance. All of their eyes were on the mer and the two birds, watching them in puzzlement.  
  
"One minute he was alright, and then the next he was freaking out." Pidge pushed up her glasses, not really knowing what to say, "Does that happen to firebirds?"  
  
"It does from time to time." Coran chirped in, as shocked as the rest of them, "Since firebirds are immortal, sometimes they get flashbacks of their past lives or perhaps visions of the future. I think that in Keith's case, we didn't really find out which one it was."  
  
The group turned to him now, frightened.  
  
"Are you saying that he might have seen the future?" Hunk pulled his arms around him, "Something so scary that it made him freak out like this? What if he saw us all die? What if the island is destroyed?" Hunk gasped loudly, "What if Zarkon kills all of us? Could he have seen something like that?"  
  
"We can't say anything for certain." Allura didn't want to push anything off the table just yet, "Whatever he may have seen, the future isn't looking bright for us. If Zarkon is really sailing towards the island, then we're bound to face an inevitable battle."  
  
Lance raised up his hand, eyes trained on it in thought. "He was scared, _really_  scared." Then his eyes moved up to the spot where the mer and the two birds disappeared to, "He's confused and lost, but most importantly, he's in a lot of pain."  
  
Pidge sighed, looking up at him, "Why did you walk up to him? You don't know anything about the guy."  
  
"I don't know." Lance kept standing in place, unsure. Then he turned to the sea, looking at it as heavy rain fell down onto its surface, "The sea wanted me to help him, but at the same time I felt really strange. It's weird."  
  
"The sea?" Hunk asked curiously, "Really?"  
  
"Yeah." Lance confirmed, "I can't explain it Hunk. I really can't."  
  
Coran looked up at the dark clouds, thunder echoing throughout the island as the rain continued falling down on them. "Why don't we go and hide from the rain? We can talk about all of this while drying, and then we can go to the hot springs."  
  
"I don't want to go there anymore." Lance huffed, remembering what Keith told them in the dungeon. "There's a temple on the island. We should go look for it."  
  
"A temple?" Allura asked curiously.  
  
"Yes." Lance nodded, "I don't know where it is exactly but I think it can help us learn a bit more about Keith. I... want to know more about him."  
  
"Hohoo~ You already have your eyes on him! I knew it!" Pidge grinned, nudging the blue pirate to the side.  
  
"He's the one who started it!" Lance turned, hiding his blushing cheeks, "Anyway! Let's get away from this rain, I'm drenched."  
  
"Aye... Aye..." And so the pirates decided to take shelter from the rain.

 

* * *

 

The mer were the ones who gathered and help carry Keith back towards the treehouse. Although they could only get so far before they were forced to stop and let Shiro carry Keith up the ladders of the tree, something that took a lot longer than Shiro would have liked, with the firebird hanging loosely under one arm and the thunderbird carefully trying to reach the top with the other.  
  
Once they were inside of Keith's room, Shiro stripped him down, tossing away the silken clothes and jewellery into a pile in the corner of the room, swearing he'd wring them out later. He lifted the now nude firebird up, carrying him over to the hammock and setting him down gentle, reaching of a rarely used cloth to dry the boy's body until Shiro was sure he'd be at least comfortable once he woke.  
  
The wings hung damply over the side of the hammock, still dripping pitifully. Shiro shook his head, walking over to the cupboard to grab the even more rarely used blanket, shaking it out and carefully placing it over Keith's sleeping form, watching as the pale body unconsciously curled under the thick material, gravitating towards warmth. Shiro moved towards the wings next, brushing his fingers through the feathers carefully as he tired to get as much water out as possible, passing the cloth over them to get the worst of the water out.  
  
He'd have to talk to Luxia once he was done. He's sure the mer were already panicking and rushing to here now, giving what they knew of the situation. He'd have to clarify what had happened, warn her that they may very well have to deal with more ships soon, or prepare healers maybe. He's still not sure if what happened was a vision or memory, and it seemed even Keith didn't know the difference right now.  
  
It was likely he'd spend the next few days either in the temple or locked in his room until he could figure out how to cope with what he saw. It must have been bad this time too, because it took longer than normal for him to break out of it.  
  
He'd have to tell Luxia about Keith’s request for the pirates as well. Not that it would make much difference if the ocean was the one who wouldn't let them leave.  
  
Shiro brushed his fingers through his brother's hair, placing a comforting kiss on the forehead, "Get some sleep buddy, you deserve it. I'll be right back."  
  
With that, Shiro turned and walked out the door, letting himself transform until he was a bird again, flying to meet Luxia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: Please note that this fic was written well before s6. XD Other than that, oh boy, love the mess. XD
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: Sorry I didn't get to finish the art piece for this chapter and if we would have waited, I feel like it would take forever to update. So no art in favour of a faster update. Sorry.
> 
> Chapter Betaed by the wonderful SilviaMoon.
> 
> Tumblr:  
> MsBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	3. Taking Flight

Two days had passed since the incident, and ever since then everyone has been on edge. It was more of a mixture of fearing the unknown, along with the incredible boredom that the entire crew of pirates found themselves in. There was nothing to do on the island other than gather food and think of ways to escape.

And even though Lance said he had a plan to get Blue back, so far there was no progress. He had asked for the help of a number of fish in the hopes they would help him pick Blue up and then bring her over to the shore. The problem? Blue was just too heavy for anyone to carry.

Lance knew there was only one way to deal with this problem, and that was to get a _bigger_  fish to help him carry it. However, for that, he would need to prepare. The fish in question might end up eating him whole in one swift bite. Then again, they could also become best buddies but Lance doubted that would end up happening.

And that's why the said pirate focused on another task at hand; the temple.

For these past two days, other than trying to recover Blue, everyone had been looking for said temple. They’d covered most of the land but so far they didn't have any success in finding it. Although as they searched, Lance got an idea as to where it might be.

His blue eyes looked up at the sky, covered with dark clouds but letting a tiny opening through for the sun to shine on them. If it weren't for the clouds, Lance was sure that the sky would be a beautiful blue. His eyes drifted to the volcano, knowing that it's the only place they haven't explored. It would also make sense for the temple to be there, because temples usually ended up being on high ground. It would make it easy for Keith to get there but not so much the mer or any other creatures that may roam the land.

And so, to the volcano they ventured.

"Ugh... H-How much longer?" Hunk's feet felt like stones, barely keeping up with the rest of the group as they walked through the dense vegetation of the island. They'd been walking for hours already, trying to reach the volcano that was on the opposite side of them.

"Just a little longer. I can already see the volcano." Matt tried to be optimistic, although this earned him a shrug from his little sister.

"We could see the volcano from the spot we started at dumbass." And just like Hunk, she wasn't fond of the long walk they had to endure.

"I'm trying to be optimistic." The older sibling huffed, crossing his arms. "The volcano seems to be inactive but there is some smoke coming from the top. Most likely because of the lava that must be underneath."

"Oh wow! Thanks for telling us Matt. As if we didn't know that already." Pidge grumbled, while her brother shrugged.

"Come on, hurry up everyone. At the pace we're going we won't be able to reach it today." Lance complained, walking up at the front.

"But we're almost there already!" Pidge complained, eyes looking up at the volcano before them. It would take them about thirty minutes more to get there but considering they were already more than halfway there, it was relieving to think about.

"We're not sure if the temple is nearby or actually on the volcano itself so we'll have to split up and look around." Lance informed, Pidge, Hunk and Matt all shrugging.

"You're killing me man. Are you serious!?" Hunk paused to gather his breath.

"I'm dead serious Hunk. I need to get to that temple and splitting up is the fastest way for us to find it." Lance crossed his arms, feeling his own legs give out. However, as soon as he remembered Keith's pained face, his determination to reach it renewed.

Thirty more minutes of walking was all it took until they reached the edge of the volcano.

That was when they met their first casualty.  
  
"Oh Gods!" Pidge exclaimed, running forward with renewed energy as soon as she spoted what rested at the base of the volcano. It seemed they _wouldn't_  have to look for the springs, because the pools of water were the first things they saw when they happened upon the volcano. There was even a little shack nearby, probably built by either the inhabitants of the island or past prisoners to change in and rest. Pidge, however, didn’t wait for that. The girl just ran up to the pool, kicking off her shoes and plopping down with her feet in the water.  
  
"Ahhh~ That hits the spot." Matt, their second casualty, muttered as he threw off his own shoes and stuck his feet into the water.  
  
"Guys, I want to find the temple." Lance crossed his arms, scolding the siblings, the memory of Keith's pained face haunting him even now.  
  
"A ten minute break isn't going to kill us." Pidge shot back, "My feet are killing me. I'm a pirate, not a hiker."  
  
"You'd think your sea legs would be stronger." Lance scolded, "Alright, take your break, but I'm going to find that temple right away."  
  
"Have fun with that." Matt called after him, "Call us if you find it!"  
  
Lance grumbled as he turned to walk away. Hunk, wonderful friend that he was, seemed inclined to help Lance despite his own exhaustion and walked the opposite direction to look for the temple.

Luckily, the volcano wasn't _too_  big, and it didn't take nearly as long to circle it as someone would guess upon first seeing it. Lance didn't have to search too long before he spotted a wooden and stone structure resting on a more jutted out piece of cliff in the side of the volcano. There were no stained glass windows, or obvious symbols for which God the temple was dedicated to, but it was tidy and well painted, obviously taken care off. It was a steep climb up, and there was no ladder, but Lance  had come all this way and he wasn't about to give up just yet.  
  
He grabbed a loose rock and started climbing.  
  
It took ten minutes of burning muscles and aching fingers, and four near falls, but he made it to the edge of the temple's cliff. He pulled himself up, taking a second to rest, gasping for breath as he rolled onto the ground.  
  
Yes! He'd succeeded!  
  
Letting the satisfaction of victory motivate him, Lance shoved himself up, dusting off his clothes as he pushed open the doors to the temple and walked in.  
  
Blue eyes widened as the tanned pirate froze at the entrance, taking in the sights and sounds before him. The temple felt a lot more...heavy...than other temples. There were no priests or monks singing hymns, but there was a certain sound in the air that Lance couldn’t quite comprehend, like a long forgotten lullaby. The walls were lined with altars to _every_  God that Lance could think of, and even more Gods that he couldn't. There were symbols carved and painted all over the walls. Carpet and tapestries line the building as well, and there were burning herbs in stone bowls everywhere, and fruits and flowers and carved stones at every altar.  
  
In the center of it all was Keith, his clothes half undone as he sat bare chested in the center of the room, his body painted with strange patterns and symbols, rainbows of fire dancing across his skin as he hummed an ancient song.  
  
Violet eyes snapped open, meeting blue.  
  
"Lance." Keith stood, his silk clothes still half open and hanging around his waist, colorful rainbows of fire still licking at his body as he walked over towards the blue pirate, "I didn't expect to see you here."  
  
"Uhhh..." Lance answered dumbly, hypnotized by the colors dancing across pale flesh.  
  
"I'm glad you're here, I made you something." Keith held out a much more colorful stone than the one he'd given the pirate before. This one a deep blue color, words carved and glowing into the side of it just like the last stone. However, the stone was smaller, and Keith had tied it with a leather cord into a necklace, "This is different from the last stone. It should protect you from harm or any trouble you run into. Be careful though, because it will only work three times before the charm wears off."

Lance stared at the stone in surprise, eyes wide as he looked at it. He felt a fluttering warmth wash over him, cheeks quickly going red in realisation of what just happened. He felt his heart increase its beat, unable to hold in the happiness he felt.

"T-This is for me?" He asked, unable to believe it.

"It is." Keith nodded, "It's a gift from me."

A _gift_.

The pirate swooned over those words, taking the necklace gently. Its blue colour was beautiful and its shine was dazzling. The leather cord matched the stone perfectly as well, giving an air of luxury to the stone. Where did Keith even get this? It was beautiful, and Lance loved it.

"Thank you." He smiled widely, the blush still on his face, "I'll treasure it."

Keith smiled in response, happy that Lance liked his gift. "I'm glad."

Lance held the gift in his hand, feeling both anxious and extremely happy. During his past courting attempts, nobody had ever returned his gifts. On a few occasions, the party he was courting would give a present back but as Lance brought in more and more gifts, they began feeling overwhelmed, and in the end, they left him.

Keith didn't do that and instead, he returned the gift. Not only that, but he was the first one to give Lance a courting gift. _Nobody_  had ever given him a courting gift first, so the fact that Keith did was making Lance flutter. And now... Keith gave him yet another gift.

This could only mean one thing...

The first courting gift means that the party is interested, but could still choose to stop the courting if they lose interest.

The second courting gift means that the party is interested, but they may still change their minds at this point.

And lastly the third gift means that the party is _definitely_  interested and wishes to pursue a romantic relationship. And since Keith had already given him two gifts, this would make it his third one.  
  
Keith is interested, and he wants to have a romantic relationship with him.

The reality of it made Lance blush even harder, looking away to try and hide it. Whew... _Okay Lance McClain, you better calm down_.

"A-Actually, I was looking for you." Lance finally managed to say, making Keith quirk a brow. "Where were you?"  
  
"I was resting in my treehouse. After what happened, I needed some time to recover." The hazy images were still there at the top of his memory, however, since he had some time to rest, he managed to push them away.

"O-Oh..." Lance reached out into his pocket, taking out his own courting gift. Looking at Keith's necklace, there was no way he would be able to compare to such a beautiful present. How could he beat that? It was impossible.

Keith's present made him extremely happy but at the same time it made him depressed by the fact that his own gifts won't be able to stand up to Keith's expectations. Keith will surely cease courting him because of his crappy offerings.

"This is for you." Lance held out a bracelet that he made himself while on the beach. It was made of little shells stuck to a tiny string that was made of the strongest of seaweed. Seaweed is gross looking to many so Lance made the extra effort to cut it with a makeshift knife, just so only a small bit of it was left for him to make the string.

The pirate looked up expectantly, waiting for disappointment right off the bat. Although he wasn't willing to give up just yet, taking out his second present. "And here is my third gift." He presented Keith with a big closed shell. However, as he opened it, Keith spotted a beautiful pearl shining brightly inside.

Pearls were one of the sea's treasures and Lance literally jumped in joy when he found it. That is, jumping in the water. You'd be amazed what kinds of things one could find out in the ocean.

The pirate looked at the other nervously. Gulping as he watched Keith examined his presents. Now that Lance had given him two more gifts, that meant he had given Keith a total of three, a sign he was also interested in a romantic relationship.

But... would Keith accept it?

Pale fingers reached forward, gingerly brushing against Lance's gifts, taking them and holding them gently as he held them up for inspection. He examined the bracelet first, carefully moving it around with his fingers, studying each of the tiny shells. This gift was so cute, absolutely precious, and it looked...

Oh.  
  
He moved his thumb over the shells, heart beating as he moved the bracelet, his eyes flickering up to meet Lance's blue orbs, "Did you make this?"  
  
"Y-Yes." The pirate stuttered, face going red, his hand going to scratch the back of his head nervously, "I made it with stuff I found on the beach. I'm sorry it's not that great..."  
  
Keith couldn’t hear the rest of what the pirate started mumbling, because the blood rushed to his ears and his heart starting beating erratically. He wasn't overreading this, there was only one thing this could be. A hand made gift like this, given for no discernible reason that Keith could think of, could only mean one thing.  
  
"And..." Keith started, eyes meeting the pirate's again, nervous to ask the next question, "...you know about mer courting?"  
  
Lance paused, gulping a bit as he answered, "Yeah..."  
  
The blue pirate, Lance, had decided to court him.  
  
Keith's heartbeat much more rapidly now, his eyes locking onto the bracelet as his feathers puffed up, unconsciously showing off the colourful feathers as the pale firebird realized there was a very real chance that a potential mate was in the room, handing him _two_  courting gifts.  
  
Not experienced in these things, Keith tried to think back, into his past lives, looking for what to do in the face of this new situation. He'd been courted like this before, and he thinks he had _accepted_  courtings before, but he needed to know _why_.  
  
A man? He thinks there'd been a man, he thinks he'd accepted courting then. But Keith isn't looking for a solid memory right now, he's looking for a feeling, emotions, what he felt during the courting. Keith, more by choice than by nature, is a creature of instinct, and he'd trust the emotions he felt now  
  
He remembers wild hearts beating, and overwhelming fondness. He remembers something that felt like this.  
  
He couldn't explain why he felt so fond of Lance so quickly, but he was. There was something about the pirate, something that just felt _right_ , almost _familiar_  in a way the he couldn't explain. Keith is no fool, he knows he couldn't have met Lance before, but there's something comforting in that familiarity. It wasn't love, but Keith is sure that it _could_  be if he gave that fondness time to grow. And the pirate could be charming, when he wasn't being an ass.  
  
It was two gifts. That just meant Lance was interested in trying this, and they could still back out of this if they turned out not to like each other.  
  
The bracelet was such a _sweet_  gift too, and that _couldn't_  be a bad sign. Lance really had to be truly interested and was taking this seriously if he'd taken the time to make such a precious gift by hand.  
  
Keith trusted his instincts here.  
  
He slipped on the bracelet, letting the delicate shells fall around his wrists, the jewelry making a small clattering sound as it fell into place. Then he reaches out to take the shell with the pearl, holding it close to his chest. Keith let his eyes meet Lance, lips quirking a bit, "These are nice gifts, I accept them."

Those words pierced right through Lance like an arrow, leaving him stunned in place. He stared in disbelief, until after a couple of seconds he shook his head and realised that he was making a fool of himself. Then again, this was the first time that someone returned a gift like this so one couldn't blame him for overreacting like this.

"A-And I accept yours." His eyes trailed down onto the colourful feathers, looking at them in awe. The puffed feathers were cute and definitely made him blush even more. Wait, was that a good sign? What did puffed feathers mean? Was it a sign of blushing? Happiness? Or was Keith scared? He knows birds usually puffed their feathers to look more intimidating but in this case, Lance didn't think that was the reason.  
  
Keith was flustered and the puffed feathers were a sign of that. _Quiznak._ _  
  
_ _"What_ were you doing before I came here?" Lance asked, trying to calm his fierce blush while at the same time trying to recover. He didn't see the firebird for two days and finally now that they met, he became a mess. Great. Although he was curious, a part of him hoped to find Keith here but another wanted to know what exactly he was doing. Praying to the gods? Giving them an offering?

"I was trying to find answers about..." Keith gestured vaguely no particular direction, "...my freakout."

"Oh..." Lance trailed off, that definitely made sense, "That tell you anything."  
  
"No." Keith shook his head, then he paused, humming a bit, "Nothing I hadn't already guessed anyway. I also came here to make the stone. That talisman is a lot harder to make than the last one."  
  
Keith's pale fingers came to tap against the stone, those violet eyes meeting Lance's seriously, "I can't mass produce these; it requires the right stones and a lot of time, so be careful. I wasn't kidding when I said it'll only work three times."

The pirate raised a brow, suddenly getting a sense of how important this gift was, "Are you sure about giving this to me?" All of a sudden the necklace felt like precious gold, both fragile and very rare. "I love the gift but compared to mine, yours is much more beautiful." He frowned, feeling a sense of incompetence wash over him. "I don't know if I'll be able to beat this. I'm so sorry that my gifts aren't as nice." _Nice_  was too weak of a word to describe it.

Keith's gift was most likely blessed and even had magical powers to protect him. He doubted his puny shells or pearls would do the same...  
  
"Your gifts are wonderful Lance." Keith reassured softly, a finger running over the shells softly, "It was very sweet of you to hand make me a bracelet, and this pearl is simply beautiful. Take it from someone who's turned down a lot of courting gifts over several lifetimes, these are finer to me than diamonds or gold."

The pirate perked up, and although he didn't feel better, it definitely gave him the motivation to try harder. Even though he can't enchant his gifts or make them as sacred as Keith's are, he'll have to try that much harder to win Keith's heart with his own presents. Puny pearls won't do. Keith seemed fond of the bracelet mostly so that gave Lance an idea about what he could do next.

"Then I'll make sure my next gift blows your mind away." He grinned, gaining a bit of confidence, "Prepare for it mullet, you won't know what hit you when you see it."  
  
The firebird sighed but smiled either way.  
  
Lance leaned his hands against his hips, looking around, "Do you need any help? I can't communicate with the Gods but maybe I can help you somehow?"

"There's not much you can do to help me." Keith shrugs, turning back to face the altars, "It seems almost every single one of them has an opinion on something, they can't decide what they want right now."

"Oh..." Lance blinked, scratching the back of his head, "I never knew the Gods were so..."  
  
"I wouldn't finish whatever you're about to say." Keith chuckled, they're listening in on us.  
  
"Oh shit." Lance glanced around, as if he would actually see the Gods if he did, "Like, right now?"  
  
"Yes." Keith chuckles, tilting his head a bit as he seemingly gets caught up in listening to something Lance cannot hear, "The Ocean God wants you to know you have their favor. Which is a bit strange actually...they don't have many favorites anymore."  
  
Keith seemed to shrug it off, "Who knows? You can never truly tell with the Gods. I'm fairly certain that your friend Allura has the wavering attention of a Goddess. Don't think Allura's going to get help from her though, this Goddess is notoriously fickle and changes interests on a dime."  
  
"Wait? What?" Lance blinks, "Say that again?"  
  
"Ocean God likes you. Allura is out of luck." Keith shrugged.  
  
"Does that mean Allura is cursed?" Lance asked worriedly, Keith shaking his head.  
  
"No, you don't need to worry about that. Gods aren't beings that would curse someone. All they do is watch and observe, as well as maintain a natural order of things. They wouldn't change someone's fate, that is of course, unless the person in question has committed a great sin. I doubt Allura did something like that so she's safe."  
  
"But what exactly classifies as a great sin?" Lance asked curiously, "Is stealing a sin?"  
  
"Depends on the context." Keith noted, "But no, it wouldn't be classified as something the Gods would pay attention to. What will anger them is when someone destroys their altar or when a person does something to directly affect the God. They don't mingle with humans and only take action when someone disrespects them."  
  
That said, Lance eyed the altars carefully. Quiznak, there were so many things he could break here that would get him in great trouble.  
  
"Okay, I'll be sure to remember that." He sighed, eyes on Keith, "And the Sea God likes me?"  
  
"He does. You've earned their favour." Keith nodded, turning to an altar with blue flowers, "That is its altar."  
  
"Sweet." Lance grinned, proudly standing in place, "Of course the sea loves me because I have deep love for the ocean as well. I don't think I'd be able to live without it. Sailing the sea, into the unknown, it just gets my blood boiling. I love that sense of adventure, exploring the unknown." And that's one of the reasons he became a pirate. "I don't think I could part from it."  
  
"I see." Keith smiled, folding his arms. "You do have a connection to the sea after all."  
  
"I do." Lance admitted. "But do you know what other connection I'd like to have as well? One with you." He raised up his hands, pointing finger guns towards the firebird, "If you allow me, I'd like to spend some time with you. Do you want to stay here? Or maybe you're going home? The rest of my crew came with me but they succumbed to the springs on our way here. Do you want to join us?"

Keith's breath hitched and his feathers fluffed again as he realized what was being offered. Of course, the courting process meant they'd have to spend time together and getting to know one another, Keith just didn't expect it to come _so soon_. But thinking about it, why wouldn't it? What else would they do after this?

The firebird moved the shell with the pearl into the folds of his clothing, making sure it was nice and safe before he turned back towards Lance, "It...has been a while since I've been to the springs. It would be nice to soak a bit after the last few days."  
  
"Sounds like a plan." Lance winked at the firebird, happy to get his woo on now that this was a _thing_  that was happening, "Guess I better get climbing then; don't wanna be late for our date."  
  
Keith flushed deeply, his face going red for a moment, but then he blinked when the last words processed, "Climb."  
  
"Yeah, how else am I going to get down?" Lance said turning to face the door, "I better get started if I'm going to beat you there."  
  
"You're not climbing down the side of that cliff and breaking your neck." Keith huffed, stepping forward and following Lance out of the temple, "That'd be a terrible waste of the first protection. I'll carry you down."

"Ha! I'm actually a great climber! I even climbed the-Wait, what?" He turned to the firebird as soon as he realised what Keith said, "Carry me?"

"Yes." Keith spread his wings to their full length, showing how long they actually were now that they weren't folded. Lance watched the wind blow against the feathers in awe, eyes trained on the many colours before Keith folded them again.

"Wow. So I'll fly?" The pirate asked in surprise as Keith stepped forward.

"That's only if you'll allow me to." Keith agreed, looking down below them. It wasn't that deep down but Lance could still get hurt if he tried. He was lucky he managed to get up in one piece. 

"Well..." The brunette hesitated, humming. He did want to try flying but he also didn't want to seem like a little kid getting happy about it. That would make him look like a loser. "How could I say no to that?" He smiled, approaching Keith, "How do we do this?"

"Easy." Keith moved, picking the brunette up bridal style as he moved to the edge of the cliff. The pirate was light and easy to carry. Then again, carrying Shiro for a couple of years probably helped him build muscle needed to carry people. Shiro was both tall and bulky, a terrible combination for someone that wanted to be carried around. "Ready?"

"Ready." Lance nodded, although when he looked down, he gulped, holding onto Keith tightly. The firebird grinned mischievously, letting himself fall down. This made Lance shriek, tightening his hold on Keith. And just as they were about to hit the ground, Keith spread out his wings, gliding up into the air suddenly.

Lance closed his eyes, burying his face into Keith's chest. Although as soon as he felt the firebird even out his flight and glide smoothly, he looked up again, eyes widening at the sight before him.

Everything was _so small_  under him. All of a sudden the whole island was under their reach and in the span of a minute they could get from one side of the island to the other. The sea stretched into the distance, however, because of the dark clouds that surrounded them, they couldn't see far behind them.  
  
Lance was smiling widely, looking around in pure joy. "This is awesome! We're on the top of the world! Woohoo!"

"Careful." Keith tightened his hold slightly, making sure the pirate didn't fall, "We’re high up."  
  
"I _know_." Lance explained excitedly, "I can see the whole _island_  from up here! And you do this all the time?"  
  
"Yes." Keith nodded, eyes searching for the springs. He spotted them, and three people sitting in them, "I see the springs, I'll glide us down."

"Already?" Lance frowned, enjoying the view as much as he could before Keith began descending. The wind gently flowing by their side as they did, landing on the ground safely. Their grand appearance made the rest of the pirates look up in awe, eyes going wide.

"Wow! You fucking _flew_?" Pidge asked, jealous but not willing to admit it.

"I _did_  and it was awesome!" Lance turned to Keith, eyes practically sparkling, "We'll have to do that again. That was _amazing_! It was otherworldly! Everything was so small up there and just under my reach! I felt like... a God!"

The other pirates rolled their eyes, "Maybe that's why Keith is the messenger of the Gods." Matt teased, sinking himself further down into the warm water.  
  
"How are you doing?" Allura asked from her own spot in another pool, eyes on Keith, "The last time we saw you, you were being carried away by the mer and the thunderbird."

"I'm alright."  Keith responded, placing Lance down as he stepped forward, stretching his arms upward to work out the tightness of his muscles, his wings flapping gently behind him, "Thanks for the concern, but you should worry about poor Shiro and Luxia more than anything else. At the rate they’re going, they'll both be gray...well...Shiro definitely will be. Did you see that white on his head? That's all me. He's young, but I stress him out too much."

No one really had anything to say to that.  
  
Keith tested the water with his bare foot, dipping it in to test the temperature. It was an unnecessary gesture for someone who'd bathed in the volcano's lava before, but it was a habit he developed after falling for too many traps where Shiro hid under the water and scared him. Deciding it was safe, Keith started shedding the outer layer of his clothing, letting the silken toga fall to the ground on a rock beside the spring, careful not to harm the shell within the folds of silk as he lowered it to the ground.  
  
"Keith!" There was a shriek, "Don't strip in front of people."  
  
Keith frowned, looking up to face the pirates that had covered their faces, "My wings are hiding my body, and I can't drop silk in hot water like this."

"Yeah but they're not doing much to cover your ass from behind." Pidge frowned, hiding her pure eyes from the nudist. Lance as well had turned around, face completely red.

"Let him get inside. Then everything will be okay." The brunette mumbled, covering his eyes but peeking from time to time, checking Keith out. The firebird was pale, his fiery wings a startling contrast to his white skin. His body wasn't bulky but he did pack some muscles. All in all, he passed Lance's test, no, he aced it. This unfortunately for Lance, resulted in even more intense blushes.

Keith rolled his eyes, sinking himself into the warm water. He sighed in relief and let the warm water soothe his tense muscles. Although he did turn around, looking for Lance who hid behind a bush.

"While Keith is a nudist, you're a drama queen captain." Pidge teased, earning a reaction from Allura.  
  
"He is not the captain." She scolded before sinking herself back into the water.  
  
"Sure I am!" The brunette grumbled, taking off his clothing swiftly and quickly. Blue eyes looking up, he blushed as soon as he noticed Keith looking at him, "Don't stare! You pervert!"  
  
The firebird rolled his eyes, "I'm no such thing."  
  
"You are now." Lance grumbled, “turn around while I get inside.”  
  
And Keith did just that, looking away to let the blue pirate enter. Lance did, placing himself beside the other quietly. He let out a satisfied hum as soon as he submerged his body under. "Feels so good..."  
  
Keith finally looked at him, both of their bodies hidden down under the murky water. Although there was one thing that Keith did notice, and that was the gills Lance had on both sides of his neck. "Are those gills?"

Lance turned to him, touching his neck, "They are. Cool, right?"  
  
"They're a good set of gills." Keith hummed, inspecting the gills as closely, but keeping an acceptable distance, "I knew there was something supernatural about you, and that you were connected to the ocean somehow, but I didn't expect gills."

"Yeah, it's how I breathe underwater." Lance hummed, flexing his gills in a show of control, "I don't like showing them off though, it puts people off."  
  
"He's had more than one girl run off on him." Pidge flicks some water at them.  
  
"Pidge!" Matt elbows here, "Not cool."  
  
"I haven't interacted with humans since my last life." Keith hummed, "But if I remember right, I would hide my tail feathers and try to pass myself off as an avian. It worked sometimes."  
  
"How?" Pidge turned to stare at him, "It's pretty fucking obvious that your wings _aren't_  normal for an avian."  
  
"Not many people had seen avians back then." Keith shrugged, turning back towards Lance, "What I'm saying is that I understand wanting or needing to hide your gills to get by, it's safer, but I think your gills are nice. I spend a lot of time around mer so I see a lot of them."  
  
Keith blinks, eyes rolling towards the sun, humming as he soaked up the fresh rays, "I hope Shiro doesn't come looking for me in bird form. We don't get the sunshine here often, and it's nice today."

"Does he usually look for you when you're not in danger?" Allura asked curiously, leaning against the rock.

"Sometimes he does. Depends if he wants to relay a message or needs me for something. Hopefully he won't need anything at this time." Keith hummed, leaning his head down onto the rock behind him.  
  
"So he's the overprotective brother type?" Matt thought out loud, earning a grumble from Pidge.  
  
"Thank God you're not like that Matt. I would have thrown you off the ship a long time ago if you were." The girl folded her arms, Rover screeching from a nearby tree.  
  
" _Protective! Protective_!"

The older sibling sunk lower into the water, "See Keith? I can't even protect my own sister without being bullied for it."

"Serves you right. You keep acting like that in front of Keith but soon your true colours will show. You thief! I know you were the one who stole my share of breakfast! And I'm set to prove it."  
  
"It wasn't me! It was Rover!" Matt pointed at the parrot, "He does things and I always get blamed for it!"  
  
"Nope! You can't accuse Rover of something you've done. I'll get to the bottom of this, just you wait and see!" And with that, Pidge ended the conversation.  
  
As the two siblings bickered, Lance glanced over at Keith, an idea coming to mind. With resolve, he moved his hand, reaching to touch Keith's own. He touched the pale hand under the water before looking away with a blush, his heart beating rapidly.

Keith inhaled some, feeling the hand sneaking over his own, deciding to let Lance continue with what he was doing. Land intertwined their fingers, holding the hand gently under the water, out of sight to everyone but Keith.

"See Keith, you're lucky you don't have to deal with that." Pidge made a disgusted noise, waving a hand towards Matt, "Now you just have to get this Shiro guy off your ass and you'll have the perfect sibling relationship."  
  
"Shiro is very good to me." Keith flicked water towards the girl, splattering her face slightly with water, causing her brother to laugh in her face as she muttered angrily.  
  
"Like you've never tried to escape the guy's over protectiveness." Pidge hisses, splashing water at Keith own face. Keith just sat there and took the small wave though, not bothering to move.  
  
"I haven't." Keith shrugged, "I don't want to do that to Shiro, he starts getting very afraid if I'm out of sight for too long."  
  
Lance squeezed Keith's hand playfully under the water, and Keith is pretty sure he poked a foot against the firebird's own. The pale firebird spent enough time around the mer children to know what's going on, the pirate was trying to see how far he could go playing around with Keith without anyone noticing. Well, he was in for a surprise, Keith was a professional at this game.  
  
"Why's he so clingy?" Pidge questioned, rolling her eyes and letting them land on Lance briefly, snickering slightly as she continued, "He afraid someone will steal your maidenhood or something?"  
  
"Probably something to do with watching me die in my last life." Keith shrugged nonchalantly, brushing off the jab, "I'm told we were both rather young and it was very traumatic for him. My guess is he blames himself for it, so I never tried to fight it."

"I'm sorry to hear about that. Now I understand why he was so protective of you when he flew in to help you two days ago." Allura chirped in from where she was, tilting her head to the side, "I'm sorry to hear about what happened."

"Sorry." Both Pidge and Matt lowered their heads as well. "You must have went through a lot."  
  
Keith felt Lance squeeze his hand, "None of us will hurt you. Trust me, we'd be fools to do that so you can rest assured that you'll be safe with us." He tried to change the topic onto something more positive. "I'm always here to save a beauty in need of help."  
  
"And hopefully you'll manage to do it this time." Pidge huffed.  
  
"Hey!" The brunette turned to her, "I took care of all my dates before! Quit lying Pidgeon!"  
  
"Don't get your hopes too high." She turned to Keith, "He's pathetic."  
  
" _Ehem_..." Lance cleared his throat, "Keith can judge that himself." He nudged his foot closer towards the other, still testing his boundaries.

"This is sweet and all." Keith wrinkled his nose a bit, nudging Lance's foot with his own in acceptance of the challenge, "But it's not a big deal to _me._ I don't remember it at all."

"That is so, so, _so_ , not the point Keith." Matt scratches the back of his head sheepishly, wincing a bit as he tried to think of how to put what he's about to say, "Most people don't die multiple, horrific, apparently young deaths. And I can _definitely_  see how that would haunt your brother."  
  
"Well, yeah..." Keith trails off, "And Shiro being upset is upsetting, definitely more than me dying."  
  
"Okay, see, _that_  is probably why your brother so protective." Matt looks so _stressed_ , "That's not a good way to think about yourself Keith, I hope you don't say that kind of stuff in front of your poor brother, because I'm starting to get understand why the guy is so extreme on the protection front now."  
  
"Of course not." Keith shrugs, "Shiro freaks out when I talk about dying."  
  
"I can see why." Matt rubbed his forehead.  
  
Lance rubbed a foot a bit up his own, reaching the ankle before fleeing.  
  
"Right." Pidge raised her hand, "Moving on, where the hell did Hunk get off to?"

"Huh?" This caught Lance's attention, "Where _did_  Hunk go?"

"I think I saw him walk in the opposite direction of where you went Lance." Allura noted, "I think he may have decided to help you in your search for the temple."

"Oh quiznak." Now was the time to worry, "Hunk, you kind soul. I knew you would be the only one to help me." The blue pirate looked up to the sky, talking to himself while the others looked at him with a deadpan expression.

"He'll come back. The volcano is only so big to go around. It shouldn't take him long." Matt added, intending to stay in the springs for a bit longer. The water was nice and warm, comfortable on the skin. Not only that but the pool of water was large as well so they weren't all squished inside.  
  
"I still want to look for him." Lance felt guilty about the whole thing. What if something happened to Hunk while he tried to help him? He couldn't just sit here and soak while Hunk was walking around for him. He turned around, intending to get out, "Don't look mullet. I'm watching you."  
  
With a roll of his eyes, Keith turned away, not looking as Lance hid behind the bush to change. "Think he might be at the temple?"

"I can certainly fly there and check." Keith hummed, moving to reach for his clothes, causing Pidge to curse him and cover her eyes as he moved to drape the silk around himself, "I’ll fly around the volcano and see if I can spot him. I'll bring him back if I do."

"Wait! I'll go with you!" Once changed, Lance walked out of the bush, going up to Keith. "Please? I want to help you search for him."  
  
Seeing as Lance was already dressed, Keith didn't see a reason as to why he shouldn't bring him. "Alright." He picked up the pirate again, ready to take to the air.

"We'll be right back." The brunette let the rest know before Keith flapped his wings, taking flight.  
  
Pidge watched, frowning as the two flew away. "Damn, he's swooned."  
  
"Who?" Matt quirked a brow.  
  
"Lover boy. He's over the heels for this new guy. Hopefully this time he makes something out of it."  
  
"Well..." Allura sighed, "He did come here looking for love."  
  
"And he found it in the messenger of the God. Great. He's a real dork." Pidge grumbled, looking up at the sky before a smile appeared on her face. The world is a weird place, _really_  weird and without rules.

 

* * *

 

"I don't see him." Lance looked around below himself, trying to spot Hunk anywhere on the ground. However, so far they'd managed to fly a circle around the volcano but nothing, Hunk was nowhere to be seen.

"Is it possible he could have found the temple and gone inside?" Keith asked, swerving around the circular form of the volcano a bit, keeping his eyes keen as he watched out for the yellow pirate, "It's the only thing I can immediately think of."

"Hunk's not much of a climber. If he found it he would have just gone back to the spring and told everyone." Lance bit his lip nervously, more worried now, he turned to face Keith, "There's really nothing out there that could have eaten him, right?"  
  
"No." Keith shook his head, eyes still on the ground, "We killed the only land predator on the island a long time ago. Unless he jumped into the ocean, which he seems wise enough not to do, he should be fine. Maybe he just went back into the woods? Or he got scared and hid himself somewhere?"

"That sounds more like him." Lance's blue eyes looked down again, carefully surveying their surroundings to spot his best friend. He and Keith had managed to make one more lap around the volcano before Lance spotted a yellow dot down on the ground just next to the woods, "There! I think that's him."

Keith looked down, spotting the object Lance was talking about. It seemed to be a human figure. "I'm taking us down." He glided down, closer and closer until they landed, startling poor Hunk into jumping upright as soon as he saw them.  
  
"W-Whoa! Where did you come from!?" The pirate yelped, raising his hands up as if to protect himself.

"From above." Lance pointed upwards smugly as Keith placed him down onto the ground. "We came to place judgement upon you from the heavens."  
  
"Real funny." The yellow pirate sighed in relief, holding his hand over his poor fragile heart, "Thank God you found me. I was getting worried."  
  
"Were you lost?" Keith asked curiously, watching as Hunk looked up at him.  
  
"I did. I was looking for the temple, and as I was walking by the volcano, I noticed this really dark cave to the side. I didn't know if the temple was hidden inside so I decided to explore. I think I found myself in an abyss down there! We should get _far away_  from here. I'm telling you, that place has evil spirits lurking around it." Hunk shook, remembering the cold cave he ventured into.

"A cave." Keith frowned, turning to face the volcano, "I've been on this island practically my whole life and I've never found any caves around this place."

"Well, I did, and I'm telling you that it was really, really, creepy." Hunk shivered, wrapping his arms around himself like it had suddenly gotten colder, "It was _really_  cold, and dark, and it felt like something was following me the entire time."  
  
"If there's something dangerous in the cave then I should go down there and destroy it before it grows and becomes a threat." Keith stated seriously, turning to face Hunk, "And if it's a lost or dark spirit I should purify it before its power grows into something twisted. Would you mind showing me where you found the cave? You don't have to go back in."

"O-Of course. As long as I don't get to go back inside." Poor Hunk shivered again, turning to lead the two towards the cave. "Your fire will come handy if you're going inside. It's pitch-black there."

"It's a good thing Keith is a living torch then." Lance teased, trying to brighten the mood. This clearly didn't work as Keith followed Hunk with a serious expression on his face. The blue pirate could only frown as they walked around the volcano, a huge cave appearing before them as they turned the corner.  
  
"Wow! It's huge!" Lance noted, trying to looking inside despite how dark it was, "How did you never see this before?"

"I... don't know." The firebird was puzzled, eyes examining the entrance as dark aura suddenly began wrapping itself around him. Dark energy was leaking out of the cave, its source deep within in the shadows. "I'll go purify anything that's inside." Be it a dark spirit or perhaps something else, Keith will get rid of it. He lit up his hand and wings of fire as he began making his way inside.

"Good luck man! And be careful! Don't go in too deep!" Hunk called after him, getting the chills.  
  
Lance ran after the firebird, set on following him as they walked inside. "Wow, it really is cold."  
  
"I told you so!" Hunk yelled back, still able to see the two as they went further and further inside.  
  
"Thanks for the help Hunk! As your captain, I appreciate it!" The blue pirate yelled back  
  
"Oh no! Sorry but I'm terrified! I'm going to get everyone else to help!" With that, Hunk turned to get backup.  
  
Lance hugged, moving his arms around himself as he followed the fiery wings, "Can you feel anything Keith?"  
  
"It's...definitely thick with dark energy here." Keith frowned, setting his wings alight as he walked further into the cave, he turned to Lance, "Are you sure you don't want to go with Hunk? It  might be dangerous down here."  
  
"And leave you to do all the work? Pssh, no way! I'm no coward. Besides, I've been in cursed places before." Lance waved off with smirk.  
  
"That's..." Keith trailed off, "Mildly concerning."  
  
"Don't worry about it birdbrain." Lance waved off further, coming to step next to Keith, "We're good."  
  
"One of those cursed caves may be why you pissed off a God and got stuck on this island." Keith shot back, stopping as he spotted a marking on the wall, a rune, definitely not a good one either, "Be careful, something bad must have happened here, and there are runes left over from the old inhabitants of the island."  
  
"No worries." Lance replied, "Between the two of us we should be good."  
  
"At least you're confident." Keith shrugged, flapping his wings out to give them more light and hopefully keep Lance warm, "It feels like witch magic down here, so it must have been a curse. A dark witch must have been experimenting here long ago."

"That doesn't sound good." Lance felt a cold wave pass him, "And you're sure you can handle this?"

"Of course." Keith nodded, slowly and warily taking a step forward. "Stay close. We don't know what to expect."

"I'm sticking to you like glue mullet." And Lance really did, walking right next to Keith as they made their way further inside. The air around them got colder and colder the deeper they went, runes increasing in number the longer they walked.

"Can you read these?" Lance asked, turning to Keith.  
  
The firebird looked around, but unfortunately, he couldn't recognise any of the texts. "It's an old language, most likely from a region I didn't visit. If a witch made them, they could also be symbols that correspond to the magic casted."  
  
"And you think someone used their magic in this place?" Could anyone even sneak inside to do it? Keith said that nobody else lived on the island apart from him, the thunderbird and the mer. "Does this cave have an end? We've been walking for a while now."  
  
"Hold on. We'll get there." Keith looked straight, firing some of his flames further inside the cave. He raised a brow when he saw an opening to the area, finally an ending in sight. "This must be it."  
  
The blue pirate gulped, "Are you sure about this?"  
  
"I can take you back and then come here by myself if you're scared." Keith suggested.  
  
"Huh!? Oh no! I'm no coward." Lance stomped forward, Keith following suit. They both made it to the opening, looking around in awe. There were many runes around, a dark hole right in the centre of the circular room. The entire place was dark, lit by Keith's flames only. "Feeling anything?"  
  
Keith felt a dark presence circle them, eyes watching them from all around, "There's a dark presence watching us." He tensed, looking around warily.  
  
"Yeah but I can't see anything." Lance frowned, walking up to the wall to look at the runes there. Some of the symbols were covered by dust so he moved his hand to get a better view. However, as soon as he touched the rock, the runes all began to glow in a dark purple colour. "W-What's happening?"  
  
Keith got into battle position, looking down at the hole in the middle that began to shine brightly. The light was bright but also dark in colour, lighting up to create a portal. A hand emerged from the ground, raising itself up as a large beast of black appeared before them. It growled menacingly, its red eyes glaring at them.

The beast was a horrid thing, even _smelling_  evil as it oozed a dark aura, growling loudly as it crawled out of its portal, eyes locking on Keith immediately. It let out something that sounded like a roar before charging.

Keith wasted no time, flaring out his wings as far as they would go, lighting them and himself ablaze with the light of his fire. He flew away from Lance, the beast following him as it opened its giant maul to reveal several rows of large teeth. It snapped at him, trying to catch him within its mouth, but Keith swerved out of the way. The room was much taller than it was wide, so he could fly out of reach, but that would leave Lance to be trampled by the thing.  
  
Lance, who was weaponless.  
  
The firebird knew he tended to rush into things a bit, but now he regretted it deeply. The beast was horrible, a dark, twisted, thing that oozed malice and corruption like slime from a snail. It was thick, heavy, hard to breathe through. Keith didn't even like the idea of _touching_  the thing. Even with the creature's attention firmly on him, the thing was large enough and swift enough to easily hurt the pirate.  
  
So he burned with a fire so hot that it burned clean, reaching for a knife within the folds of his clothing, and dove for the creature with a cry. He slashed at the creatures red eyes, burning two of them away, and leaving four more, but he just burned and burned and burned until he could _feel_ the ooze simmering and boiling away. The creature grabbed him with its arms and snapped at him, nipping his bare foot, and Keith gave an involuntary cry that didn’t sound human.  
  
Those cries, Keith remembered dully, always brought storms, and it proved true when he heard an answering cry somewhere in the far distance.  
  
Lance, meanwhile, was never someone who stood by and watched things happen. He was weaponless at the moment, but that didn't stop him, instead he grabbed some rocks and aimed straight for the thing's many eyes, the ones Keith hadn't taken out, and hit every single one of them.  
  
The thing growled, obviously pained, but it ignored the discomfort and started moving towards the portal.  
  
That's when Lance realized it was trying to _take_  Keith.  
  
"Hey! Let _go_  of him!"  
  
But even as it was blinded and Keith's flames were slowly _melting_  it, the creature still moved towards the portal, the firebird shrieking and stabbing at it as giant, mud like, drops of black ooze fell off him and sizzled into nothing. But even _then_  it just crawled its way across the ground towards its goal.

A wave of fear washed over the pirate, dread filling him as he made a run for it. He didn't have to think twice about it, simply letting his panicked self take over and control his actions. The only thing Lance knew was that he had to save Keith by _any_  means necessary.

He threw rocks at the creature, the impact useless as it continued dragging the firebird down with him. Lance reached out, trying to grab Keith as if he would be able to somehow fight against the massive size of the beast. But he still tried, hands reaching out to grab Keith's hand, surprised when the flames didn't burn him. But he didn't have time to think about that, focusing on pulling Keith away as if this was some kind of tug of war between him and the monster.  
  
To his horror, Lance noticed two other creatures slowly emerge from the portal. Their teeth were sharp and their lips quirked upward as they made their way towards them.  
  
No....  
  
No, no!  
  
Lance held onto Keith tightly, the monster managing to drag them both so that they were right next to the portal. Another push and they would both be swallowed by the black substance.  
  
Lance tugged and tugged, tears at the brink of his eyes as Keith screamed in pain, trying to free himself as well. But just as they were about to be pulled in, Lance noticed something begin to glow against his chest. The stone Keith had given him as a courting gift began to levitate, shining brightly within the cave.  
  
The creatures all shielded themselves from the light, screeching in pain as the glow began to burn them. The pain was so great that the creature who was holding Keith let go, sinking back into the portal where it came from. Lance held onto Keith tightly in his arms, the creatures growling and retreating back to where they came from.  
  
' _You will not escape_!'  
  
Lance heard a dark voice echo throughout the cave, suddenly feeling one of the creatures grab both him and Keith up, holding them within its gooey _hand._ _  
  
_ _'You are mine firebird_.'  
  
The voice repeated when Lance suddenly felt his breath being knocked out of him, a hazy image coming to mind. All of a sudden he found himself in a hazed dream like state, the figure of a man with wings standing before him.  
  
And as the man turned, Lance was surprised to see that it was Keith. His smile was bright as he turned, holding out a hand towards him. This Keith was older looking, his hair longer and tied into a braid. His wings were much more red in contrast to the Keith he knew, showing his older _age._ _  
  
_ _'Be careful, you'll hurt yourself_.'  
  
Older Keith's voice sounded, Lance blinking in complete surprise. The way Keith was looking at him was so soft, so, so soft and loving that it hurt.  
  
"Are you Keith?" He asked, making _sure._ _  
  
_ _'Who else would I be_?'  
  
' _Did you hit your head again?'_ _  
  
_ _'That's okay_.'  
  
' _I'll make it better_.'  
  
But just as older Keith leaned closer towards him, the scenery suddenly changed into something dark. There was nothing but black around him, a complete abyss of nothingness. Lance choked, feeling hands holding his neck tightly, suffocating him. Looking down, he noticed that it was Keith but... different.  
  
Keith's wings were ebony, eyes completely black as well as he stared at Lance with pure amusement in his eyes.  
  
' _You'll become my minion_.'  
  
Keith's voice sounded again, but Lance knew better than to mistake it for real Keith's voice. It was much darker, and so much different from the real Keith that it was hard to mistake.  
  
' _I will use you to get the firebird_.'  
  
' _Bend to my will useless human. Listen and you shall be rewarded_.'  
  
The figure that took Keith's shape lowered him down, grin wide as he watched Lance struggle. Then all of a sudden he reached out to place his hand on Lance's face, his eyes glowing red before black liquid began to disperse across Lance's face. Soon the pirate's entire face was covered with a pitch-black mask. And then... the illusion ended.  
  
When he came to, he heard Keith screaming beside him as well, the monster letting them go, unable to fight against the light of the stone that was defending the two. And as the light continued to shine brightly, all of the creatures retreated into the portal that soon closed.  
  
The runes ceased their glow, dark aura disappearing as the stone continued to shine.  
  
"L-Lance." Keith, covered a bit in the melted ooze, beat his wings rapidly, slowly causing the thick blackness to sizzle and melt away. He crawled towards the pirate, pulling the brunette closer, not bothering to wonder why his flames didn't burn the pirate. The stone dimmed, slowly dying down as the firebird burned away the remains of the dark mess weighing them down.  
  
Lance threw himself at the firebird, wrapping his arms around the pale body, uncaring of the flames licking at their skin. He buried his face into the other boy's neck, almost going teary eyed from just how /relieved/ he felt right now. He dug his fingers into Keith's back, twisting into the bare skin that the silken clothing couldn't reach.  
  
"W-What was _that?"_ Lance cried, pulling Keith closer as the flames died down and the evidence of what happened left their bodies, the blackness gone with a final, burning, sizzle.  
  
" _I don't know_." Keith whispered, bringing his arms around Lance, holding him as well, "I don't remember anything like that."  
  
"They tried to take you!" Lance pulled back a bit, staring at the shrine in horror, "Keith, we have to get out of here before they come back."  
  
"We can't just leave this place sitting here." Keith replies, staring around the room, much more cautious now that he'd seen that this wasn't just _any_  dark ritual chamber. This was an _active_  chamber, still controlled by the witch who once lived on this island, and she had her sights on him. It normally wouldn't be a huge inconvenience, but this chamber was _old_ , and the magic was _much_  more dark and twisted than a normal witches.  
  
No, he was dealing with a hag.  
  
A very old and powerful hag.  
  
"We at least need back up." Lance replied, standing up and dragging Keith to his feet, "This was...not okay. If it weren't for your stone then who _knows_  what might have happened?"  
  
"You're right." Keith acknowledged, "You only have two more uses of that stone, and I don't want to test our luck. Shiro knows I'm in danger, let's go find him."

"That sounds _great_." Lance didn't waste time to help Keith get out of the cave, supporting the firebird as they walked back through the dark tunnel. Keith was weak but he still had to keep his flames up so that they had some light. If it weren't for his fire, then they would be in total darkness.

As they neared the light, Lance could make out voices of his crew, calling out to him into the shadows. When they saw the approaching fire, all of them called out in relief. "Lance!"  
  
Allura and Pidge walked up to them, helping Lance support Keith as they continued making their way out. "Don't let him fall. He's hurt badly." But the blue pirate didn't let go, set on helping Keith get out in one piece.  
  
And when they finally made it outside, they placed Keith down gently on the ground, sighing in relief.  
  
However, there was no time for them to let down their guard because as soon as they left the cave, its entrance began to close by itself. Dark black magic surrounded the cave as the walls closed, leaving nothing behind. As if the cave wasn't there to begin with. All evidence of it... Gone.

"Well..." Keith sighed from his spot on the ground as he watched the cave disappear, "At least we know why I never found it."

"That's not funny man." Hunk shivered, holding himself as he tried to stop trembling. Storm clouds were slowly brewing, blocking out the sun, a sure sign Shiro had heard Keith's call, but it didn't help the chill the cave left behind, "What _happened_  down there?"  
  
Lance threw himself up, throwing out his arms as he answered, "It was awful! There were these creepy witch runes _everywhere_. And there was this huge chamber in the back, and when we went in this portal opened up and these creepy, oozing, _things_  tried to take Keith."  
  
"Shit man." Matt turned to the firebird, checking where there were long scratches along the pale body, "Are you okay?"  
  
"I will be." Keith answered as he let the flames die down, putting his powers to rest for now, "But I need some time to get my strength back up. Those...things...were heavily corrupted, and I think a hag may have made them. If that's true then we should watch out, hags are nasty creatures, as twisted by their magic as they can get, and _very_  powerful. If those things can hurt me, then the hag in question is old, _very_  old, maybe a few hundred years past the normal lifespan for a witch."  
  
"Oh _no_." Hunk groaned, "Hags sound way, way, _way_ , worse than evil witches. What's wrong with them? Just go ahead and tell me man."  
  
"They're corrupted witches that fell too far into their own magic." Keith starts, "There isn't much out there that is worse than a hag. They're cunning, depraved, and generally repulsive. They also have shed most of their humanity in exchange for access to raw magics. It's not a good idea to cross them. Even a young hag can be difficult, but this one just _felt_  old."

"Which means trouble." Allura stood to the side, her arms folded, "I think we may have found ourselves another foe to fight."

"W-We won't be fighting her, will we?" Hunk asked nervously, eyeing the rest of the group. "Right?"

"I don't know." Since her magic was present on the island despite Keith never witnessing it before, it must be a sign that she is targeting him directly. She knows where he is now, creating a large cave within the volcano to lure him inside of it. The hag must have wanted to capture him within the portal and then in some way transport him to her location. That was most likely where the portal led to, which also meant that those monsters were created by the hag as well.  
  
She will be a formidable foe.  
  
"Are you alright?" Lance kneeled down beside the firebird, worried as he looked over his injuries, "How long will it take for you to heal? Do you need any herbs? Water? Anything? We can help you gather it if you need something you're missing. Just let us know and we'll help."

"I just need to rest." Keith reassured Lance lightly, his pale hand moving to cover a gash on his arm, "I can heal myself once I've rested a bit. Those things didn't infect me with their corruption so I should be fine."  
  
"We should still bandage your wound." Allura looks over the gashes he hadn't covered, "We can't have you bleeding out."  
  
The sun suddenly disappeared, and thunder rolled as Shiro's giant form cast a shadow over them. The thunderbird took in the scene before him, his wings flapping heavy and strong enough the wind forced a few of the pirates to the ground as the full force of  a storm moved around them. On the back of the bird's neck was Coran, who was screaming and hanging on for dear life.  
  
The thunderbird landed, and Coran fell to the ground with a thund.  
  
Feathers melted away and fleshy hands reached forward as the bird became a man, reaching out for the downed firebird, "What happened?"  
  
"Hag." Keith answered, "An old one."  
  
Shiro paled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: BBell is excited we were apple to get this chapter out before s7. Thanks again to our Beta, and also thanks to my dog for getying me through editing. Also, Star, the art looks great! XD
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: I'm really sorry for the crappy art. I'm not home so it's super hard for me to draw but I managed to come up with something. Also, s7 comes out this week!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!
> 
> Chapter Betaed by the wonderful SilviaMoon.
> 
> Tumblr:  
> MsBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	4. The Red String

Coran grumbled, patting his clothes down as he tried to clean the sand off of him. He looked up, spotting the group before him, "H-Hello there chaps!" He perked up, sitting up, "No need to worry! I'm okay!"

"Oh... Great." Pidge rolled her eyes, moving to look back at Keith. "At least we have someone with experience to help us now."

"Of course! I'll do my-"  
  
"I meant the thunderbird." Pidge pointed at Shiro, leaving Coran to sulk in place. However, despite the rejection, the older pirate cleared his throat, "Did I hear correctly when you said that a hag did it?"  
  
"Yes." Keith nodded, "An old one."  
  
"That is a bad omen. Hags are rare since they usually hide within the darkness but as soon as one appears, there's bound to be trouble. Hags don't usually show themselves without a reason which means that she must have targeted you specifically." Coran explained, a worried look on his face.  
  
"We already figured that much." Lance's eyes remained on Keith's wounds, "She was trying to kidnap Keith."

"This happened once before we came to the island." Shiro moved past the pirates, inspecting the injuries on his brother's body, "Back in your last life."  
  
Keith hummed at that, moving violet eyes to meet his brother's concerned brown, "Do you think it's the same hag?"  
  
"Without a doubt." Shiro moved a hand to the scar over the bridge of his nose, "I don't know why she wants you, but it can't be good. We need to get you back to the treehouse and get you rested up."  
  
"Can you carry all of us?" Keith asked eyeing the pirates, "I don't want to leave them here, not with a hag around. Who knows where she is."  
  
Shiro turned to study the group, eyeing the amount of people gathered before nodding, "It will be a tight fit, and you'll all have to hold on, but I should be able to carry everyone."  
  
With that, he changed back into a giant bird, the shift taking much less time than becoming a man did, showing the power of the form. He moved his body, stretching out his wings as he leaned the rest of his form down, motioning for them to crawl onto his back.  
  
Coran groaned.

"Sweet! When you attacked us back at sea, I never thought we'd get a chance to ride you." Who would have thought about it? Definitely not Pidge.

The pirates climbed their way up onto the bird, Allura and Lance both helping Keith up onto the thunderbird's back. As soon as they were all ready, they let Shiro know. "We're all good and ready to go big guy." Lance gave the signal as Shiro expanded his wings, flapping them so that they could take flight but also being aware of the large number of people he was carrying on his back.

The thunderbird flew low, the pirates looking down at the scenery in awe. They may have just faced an old hag, but the view from above made them smile.  
  
Lance held onto Keith tightly, making sure that he wouldn't slide or fall off the giant bird. Blue eyes surveyed the ocean in the distance, covered by the clouds. Although he spotted an isolated beach near where their shelters were, deciding that _that_  would be the spot.

"Keith, you see that?" He pointed to the said shore, making sure Keith saw it. "That will be our meeting spot. Whenever you feel like talking we can meet there. I'll be waiting for you on the beach whenever you need me."

Keith looked up tiredly, flowing Lance's pointing finger to the spot and nodding, "Alright."  
  
Shiro glided down gently as the rains started picking up a bit, landing softly on the sands of the beach, lowering his body for the pirates to slide off. The crew, one by one, did. Allura, though, took the time to smack Shiro's neck a bit.  
  
"That was for sinking my ship." She glowered, "But thank you for carrying us."  
  
Shiro blinked after the woman as she walked away, hands on her hips, and into the shelter. He turned to the other pirates, but they were already scattering and running into their own shelters. Only Lance stayed behind, holding Keith gently and helping him to the ground, "Will you be alright?"  
  
"I'll be fine. Shiro can carry me home and help treat my wounds." Keith reassured before tapping at the stone around Lance's neck, "Be careful, you only have two left, and it will take a lot more energy than I have right now to make another one."  
  
"Don't worry about me." Lance scoffed, "I'm more worried about you right now."  
  
"I'll heal." Keith shrugged, moving to crawl onto one of Shiro's talons. The thunderbird flapped his mighty wings, lifting himself into the air, taking Keith with him as the flew off. But just before they were out of range, Keith turned back to call after him, "Good luck with the plans to raise your ship."  
  
Blue eyes blinked dumbly at the fleeing forms.

 

* * *

 

Lance hummed contently, swinging his legs in the air as he looked over his presents. He had gathered everything on his side of the hut, placing his gifts neatly in a bag he found when he entered his now new home. The bag was of good quality, but most importantly, it was clean so Lance deemed it worthy enough to place his gifts inside of.

However, right now he took everything out, placing the three items in front of him. First there was the warm stone that was still hot even now. Keith really wasn't lying when he said that the stone would never cool and that just made Lance hum even more. Next there was the lovely feather, soft to the touch as Lance ran his fingers through it. Keith didn't give him this gift directly but since it was such an intimate item, he must have been shy about it.

A huge smile appeared on Lance's face, blushing as he held the feather in hand. _How cute_. Keith had given him _this_  gift right away as his second courting gift. For it to be so intimate, he must be serious. This fact made the pirate blush even harder, almost squealing like a teenage girl that had just gotten a gift from her crush.  
  
He tried to calm himself, moving his eyes onto the third gift. This was also precious, protecting him from danger should he need it. This one was _very_  considerate and it made Lance's heart increase in its beat. Ahhh... He's already falling for the firebird. How could he not with these gifts? Not only that, but there was something strange about Keith as well.  
  
He remembered the dream like mirage he had, the image of an older Keith coming to mind. His smile was so soft and loving, and... it made Lance melt under its attention. Then there was Keith's hair that was blowing with the wind, nicely tied in a long braid that leaned against his shoulder.  
  
His wings were red, just like the colour of fire. There were also hints of yellow and purple, forming something that Lance couldn't even begin to explain. The beauty of those wings was marvellous, feathers puffed in the cute way he knew they were when Lance was giving him attention.  
  
Keith was both beautiful and breathtaking at the same time. Not only that, but he had given Lance such an intimate gift as his second courting present that it shook the pirate and turned his world upside down. He was falling hard already, and he had just spent a couple of days with Keith. Surely in that little amount of time no real love could take blossom, could it?  
  
Lance blushed, burying himself in his makeshift pillow that was made of soft leaves stuffed in a bag. It wasn't comfortable but it will have to do for now.  
  
"Did you really fall that hard?" Hunk looked over at him, narrowing his eyes smugly, "You totally did, didn't you? I can see right through your tomato red face."  
  
"W-What!?" Lance looked up, his face going even redder, as if that was even possible. "I can't help it Hunk, he started courting me first and... he gave me such meaningful gifts."  
  
"Really? I know the first stone has this magical power but what does the second one do?" The larger pirate moved closer to inspect the gifts. "They're _really_  nice." His eyes moved along the gifts, starting at the warm stone before making his way to the second mysterious stone. "What does this do?"  
  
"This?" Lance picked the necklace up, holding it carefully in his hands. "It's a protective charm. It has this incredible power to protect me, but only three times. Keith made sure to emphasise that." He looked at it closer, blue eyes examining the beautiful colours that were flowing within like live fire. "I already used one in the cave. That means that I have two more protective charms left on it."  
  
"Wow... So it can protect you from anything?" Hunk asked in wonder, poking the stone curiously.  
  
"Don't touch it. You'll break it." Lance pulled the stone to his chest, glaring at the other to show that he meant it. "And yes, I think it's mighty enough to protect me from anything." Thinking about it now... "Do you think it would shield me from a tsunami?"  
  
"I don't know buddy." Hunk frowned, moving back onto his side of the bed, "Tsunamis are like a pretty big deal. And by the way, I wasn't going to break it."  
  
"Accidents happen Hunk. You know how much courting gifts mean to me. This time the person of interest gave me more gifts than one, and I just... just..."  
  
"I know buddy." Hunk smiled, "I'm happy for you. Those gifts are pretty awesome for first time serious courting gifts. Congrats."  
  
Lance smiled widely, taking all of the gifts in hand before bringing them up to his chest. He felt incredibly warm, not only because of the hot stone he held in his hand but also because of the person who gave him these gifts. His memory drifted back to the older Keith in his vision, or whatever that was.  
  
He melted under those loving eyes whenever they looked at him. And while Lance thought about the beautiful violet, he also wondered why he saw this image of Keith. Who was this older Keith? And why did he appear before him? Could it be because of the stone? Was part of Keith inside it? If it was fused with his power, then it would make sense.  
  
There was also another possibility but Lance refused to believe that one. It would be silly to think that he would be able to see such a thing but what if the older Keith was one of Keith's previous lives? Firebirds are immortal so the possibility of older Keith being the same Keith was high.

But why would Lance see his memories like that if he really was Keith from a previous life? Was it because of the stone? All of that made no sense. However, the more he thought about it, the more he focused on that fond smile and just... ugh! He was swooning all over again.  
  
That's it! Thinking time was over. For now, all he'll think about is Keith's beautiful smile and imagine himself embracing the older Keith because he suddenly felt this mysterious need to throw himself onto the firebird, embrace him tightly, nuzzle against him, kiss him and- Oh no! Hold the phone!  
  
The pirate squealed again, face red as he buried it into the pillow.  
  
Meanwhile, as Lance was having a breakdown, Hunk kept sending him knowing looks. His best friend knew what was up and he was enjoying the sight of it all. Lance could only thank the heavens that he wasn't sharing a shelter with Pidge or else she would embarrass the shit out of him.  
  
"Done swooning over the guy like a teenage girl? Some of us are trying to sleep." Hunk reminded, laying down while the crickets sung on all sides.  
  
"Kill me Hunk." The brunette grumbled, "I have fallen _hard_."  
  
"And I'm happy for you." The pirate smiled but did want to get some sleep, "Why don't we go to sleep now? Maybe you'll get to dream about him?"  
  
"You think?" Lance peeked from under his pillow.

"You'll know if you fall asleep. Night bud." Hunk turned around, intending to get some shut eye before the sun rose again.

Lance grumbled, laying down in bed as he held onto his gifts. They had become his treasures now, not willing to part with them. He will treasure them until the end of time... He'd rather kill himself than lose a gift. Oh no! Lance McClain wouldn't dare to lose any of his precious courting gifts. He never did since he was born. However, with _these_  gifts, he'll have to take the extra measure to protect them. They mean too much to him, more than any other courting gift he had ever received.  
  
And so with that, Lance held the gifts gently in his arms, falling asleep with the items resting on his chest.  
  
As time passed and everything around them became silent, Lance suddenly sat up in his makeshift bed with his head held low. Hunk snored beside him as he remained in place. However, when Lance finally looked up, his eyes were dark, not a single trace of light within them.  
  
Dark aura surrounded him as a grin appeared on his face. He looked around, as if seeing his surroundings for the first time. He took note of Hunk as well, watching to check if he was really sleeping, and once he made sure of it, he continued observing the small shelter.  
  
What caught his attention were the courting gifts that were now in his lap, having falled down from his chest when he sat up. He reached out to take the warm stone in his hand, smile widening as soon as he noticed that it was warm.  
  
' _Good... Good_...'  
  
A dark voice echoed as Lance let go of the stone, his attention now on a far more precious object. His tanned hand reached out for the red feather, holding it in his hand like the treasure it was. His grin widened into something malicious, dazed by the mere sight of the object.  
  
' _Fabulous! This is perfect! I have finally gotten my hands on a firebird's feather_.'

The voice echoed, Lance moving his hand onto the wooden floor beside him. The dark magic around him concentrated on his palm until suddenly a small portal appeared beneath his hand. It looked the same as the one inside the cave, only this one was _much_  smaller in size. Big enough for a hand to pass through but not a whole human body.  
  
' _The feather is mine. Give it to me human. I need the feather_.'  
  
And Lance did, holding up the feather and sinking it into the portal until it was swallowed whole.  
  
' _Yes... Yes... Now I will be able to track the firebird wherever he goes. There is no escape_.'  
  
The voice sounded pleased, the portal slowly closing as if it was never there to begin with. Lance looked down at his other present, holding the stone of the necklace in his hand. The dark aura swirled around it, but unable to corrupt it.  
  
' _I cannot corrupt the stone but that doesn't matter. I have already corrupted you human_.'  
  
Lance dropped the stone, putting it back next to the warmth producing rock.  
  
' _I shall get my hands on the firebird and you will help me. I will corrupt the firebird from within_.'  
  
' _The more time he spends with you, the stronger the corruption will be_.'  
  
' _Sleep my minion. For now, rest_.'

The dark aura slowly began to vanish, and as it disappeared completely, Lance's body fell limply onto the ground. Luckily his head landed on the pillow so it cushioned his fall.  
  
That, however, is nothing compared to what awaited Lance in the morning.  
  
The blue pirate had a mini panic attack, searching for his courting gift that suddenly vanished. The feather was nowhere to be seen, leaving Lance crying as he searched for it.

 

* * *

 

' _A-a-ahhh~_.'  
  
Keith was sure that Lance sucking at his neck wasn't something that actually happened to him, especially since he had only recently started courting the pirate and was definitely not at that stage yet. But here he was, imagining himself _very_  vividly squirming underneath the pirate, hand gripping against the sand and leaving long trails behind. His head is tossed back, letting the other find the right spot...  
  
So Keith wakes up from _that_  dream with a yelp, throwing himself up with a slightly wide eyes.  
  
The firebird fluttered his wings, falling from his hammock and into his nest, his body landing with a soft thump. He blinks a bit, moving to crawl out of the nest as he looked for something reflective. He grabs a teapot, bringing it to his face and staring at it until he's sure that, yes, he has a clean neck.  
  
Alright, alright, it was just a vivid dream.  
  
The pale boy shuffled a bit, placing down the teapot, moving to check his still rapidly beating heart.  
  
He hadn't had a chance to do something like _that_  in this lifetime.  
  
Keith moved away from his room, more than a little embarrassed that something like that had happened. He checked around the area, making sure Shiro hadn't seen or heard anything. He moved across the bridge connecting their homes, peeking into Shiro's room, only to see the man wasn't there.  
  
Keith didn't know if he should be relieved yet or not.  
  
He spread his wings, hopping from the bridge and gliding down towards the lagoon below, where parents had brought their early rising children for the day, leaving them under the safety of a few free adults. The firebird glided onto a free branch, dipping his toes in the water so the children would be tempted to try and catch them.  
  
It worked, and soon there were boundless amounts of eager children trying to bite at his toes, but Keith merely flapped his wings and hovered out of reach, gliding gently over the waters as tiny little hands tried to catch his ankles.  
  
He should bring Lance here, see how the pirate would interact with children, it would definitely help him decide if this relationship with Lance was a good idea. The pirate _seemed_  like he would like children, and Keith could always interfere if the brunette turned out to be different than Keith had thought.

The raven haired boy nodded, deciding that it was a good idea, and took to the skies.

He flew over the island, heading towards the spot Lance pointed to yesterday. If he was lucky, then the pirate would be there waiting for him. With his wings, it didn't take Keith long to spot the shore from up above, smiling as soon as he noticed a figure sitting on the sand. Lance was there.

He glided down towards him before landing on his legs. He had a smile on his face as he approached, however, as soon as he noticed Lance's hunched figure, that smile fell.  
  
Then he heard a sniff as well, and that's when he knew that Lance was crying. Not only that, but he was hunched in a way that he hid his face. "Lance? What's wrong?" He approached worriedly, settling himself beside the pirate.  
  
"K-Keith..." The brunette looked up, revealing his puffed cheeks and red face. That told Keith that he must have been crying for a while now.  
  
"It's okay Lance." He tried to assure, placing his hand on Lance's shoulder gently, "Will you tell me what happened?"  
  
Lance sniffed, burying his head in his arms, hiding it again. "I-I lost it Keith. I _lost_  it. I've been... searching for it the entire morning but I _can't_  find it. I-I don't know what to do. It's gone... Gone... I can't find it anywhere I-"  
  
"Shhh... Lance it's okay." Keith didn't think twice about it before moving his arms around the other, trying to comfort him the best way he could. "What did you lose? Maybe I can help you look for it?"  
  
This made Lance sob on his breath, tears falling down his cheeks as he looked up again, "I-I..." The pirate bit his lip, clearly conflicted. "I'm a failure Keith. I couldn't keep it safe. I couldn't..."  
  
"It's okay." Keith pat the other on the back, "You're not a failure just because you lost something. We can find it together."  
  
"No!" Lance shook his head rapidly, "Keith, you don't understand. I _lost_  it. Your... your courting gift. I _lost_  it and now it's gone. I've been looking for it all this time and I can't find it anywhere. I even dug under the dirt to see if it would be there but it wasn't."  
  
Keith noticed Lance's dirty hands, a sign that he really had been digging dirt. "Which one of the gifts did you lose? I'll help you find it, I'll be able to sense it."  
  
"R-Really?" That made Lance look up in hope, "You can?"  
  
"Yes." Keith nodded, "But first you have to tell me which of the gifts you lost."  
  
That made Lance relax a bit, although he bit his lip, hesitant on telling Keith which gift it was. How could he when it was the most intimate gift of all? "T-The feather. I lost it Keith."  
  
At first, the firebird had _no idea_  what the blue pirate was talking about. It took Keith a good moment before he realized what Lance was talking about, "Wait...you mean...one of _my_  feathers?"  
  
"Y-Yeah." Lance sniffed a bit, whipping his eyes a bit, "I'm _so_  sorry Keith. I don't know how this happened. I _swear_  it was safe in my bag when I went to sleep last night."  
  
Keith didn't bother to wonder how Lance had gotten his hands on one of his feathers, or why he thought the firebird would know about it, because none of that was important in light of the fact that _one of his feathers was missing_. This was beyond bad, this could _easily_  end in disaster.  
  
The firebird grabbed the pirate by the shoulder, twisting the man to face him fully and staring in straight into the eyes seriously, "Lance, we _need_  to find that feather. There are men out there who would _gut their own mothers_  to get their hands on it. I can't tell you how serious this is, so I'll give you context. I barely remember _anything_  about my past lives, but one thing I _always_  remember is that there are men who will start _wars_  to get my feathers."  
  
It was becoming hard to breathe now, and Keith's shoulders started to shake lightly, "We _need_  to find it Lance. My feathers are the most powerful part of my body, and even _one_  of them could..."  
  
He shook his head, stopping himself, what was he doing? The only thing this would accomplish is panicking Lance. The pirate was already enough enough of a mess right now without Keith losing it. The raven haired boy shook his head, "No, it's fine. We're on an island and no one here would take it. We just have to find it."

"Wars?" The brunette asked, tears still falling down his cheeks. But as he thought about it more and more, realisation suddenly settled in, "K-Keith I'm so sorry... I... I didn't know... It was _there_  by my side and then it was gone." Keith's words made him feel even worse, panic settling in as he looked into the firebird's violet eyes.

"W-We can look again. Maybe you'll sense it? Can you do that? You probably can, can't you?" He grabbed Keith's wrist, pulling him up towards the direction of his temporary home, "I'm so sorry Keith. I don't know how it happened, I-"  
  
"Lance." The firebird placed his hands firmly on Lance's shoulders, holding him in place, "Nobody will be able to get it on an island. The feather is important, _really_  important but we'll find it. You don't have to worry about it this much."  
  
"But it's a _courting gift_." Lance stressed, sniffing now that he said it, "It was special and I _lost_  it. Please Keith, you have to help me find it. I _never_  lost a courting gift in my life."  
  
"A courting gift?" The firebird tilted his head to the side, "I don't remember giving one of my feathers as a courting gift." He was completely lost and confused.  
  
This in return made Lance blink, "I-In the dungeon. You left one of your feathers behind as a courting gift." Wait... or was it a courting gift at all? "T-That wasn't a gift?" The dawning realisation that he may have mistaken Keith's intentions made him feel terrible. Of course, that wasn't a gift. It couldn't have been.  
  
The feather had most likely fallen off Keith's wings without him even realising it. And all this time Lance thought it was... "I-I'm..."

"Lance?" Keith tilted his head.  
  
"I'm such an idiot." Lance buried his face in his hands, "I'm such a _fucking_  idiot."  
  
"What? No." Keith moved to comfort the pirate, trying to stop the tears that were building in blue eyes, "You're not an idiot, it's an easy misunderstanding to make. Avians give feathers as early courting gifts all the time."  
  
"I thought...I thought..." The brunette shook his head, "I'm sorry, I thought...I..."  
  
"Lance, please calm down." Keith cooed, moving in to grab tanned cheeks between his hands, tilting the brunette's head up and forcing the blue eyes to meet his own again, "You're okay, we're okay. The feather couldn't have gotten far, and we're still courting, and I can give you another feather once we know whether this will work out. _Please_ don't cry. You're not an idiot."

The pirate found himself looking into those violet orbs, captivated by their beauty now that he was this close. A flashback of the older Keith appeared before him, replacing Keith's face with that of his older version. And as the image of the real Keith returned, Lance reached out to touch the ends of his short hair.  
  
It caught the firebird by surprise, eyes following Lance's hand as he touched the ends of his black hair. Lance was astonished by how soft the hair actually was, but stopped short of moving his hand down once he noticed that there wasn't no braid present.  
  
His blue eyes moved onto Keith's again, locking in gazes as he examined Keith closer. It was the same, everything was the same. The only difference between the two was in their age, but apart from that, they were the same person.  
  
Realising what he was doing, Lance jumped away, making Keith flinch in surprise as he did. The pirate blushed, looking away, having somewhat calmed down from his previous panic attack. His cheeks were still wet, creating a contrast between his puffed face and his blush.  
  
"D-Did you ever have a braid?" He asked curiously, eyes gathering the courage to look at the firebird again, "I think it would suit you."

The firebird frowned a bit, rolling back his eyes and thinking, bringing his fingers to meet the tips of his hair absentmindedly, "I might have had one before, but I've never grown my hair long enough for one in this life."  
  
"I think you'd look good in one." Lance muttered, turning away from Keith as he settled his attention on the shelters in the distance, "I've already torn apart the hut looking for the feather, and Hunk helped me, so I'm positive it isn't there."  
  
Keith frowned, dropping his hand as he moved closer to Lance, "Is it...possible one of your friends took it?"  
  
"Absolutely not." Lance shook his head, "Maybe if any of the other crew were here, but not these guys. I trust them with my life, and they _know_  how important courting gifts are to me, they wouldn't have taken it no matter how valuable it was."  
  
Keith bit his lip, worried, "It couldn't have left the island. Maybe it got caught in the wind and one of the mer found it?"

Lance raised a brow, "You want to ask the mer if they know where it is?"  
  
"It's worth a shot. If it fell into the sea, then they would know about it." The wind carried many things out to the sea in the past. There was once a time when Keith saw many palm leaves floating above the water, and in some cases even found abandoned boats floating around without crew or anyone else on board. Many things could be lost at sea.  
  
"I don't know Keith." Lance's red cheeks were slowly beginning to calm down, hand reaching out to hold onto his left elbow, "I guard my courting gifts. I don't think I would have let the wind take it like that." He always treasured his gifts with his life, even though the courting gifts were given by past potential partners who weren't interested.

"And I'm not sure about going to the mer." The pirate looked up at the other, "I don't think they'd be happy to see a pirate like me. Especially after I made them all go mad in the dungeon."

"About that." Keith couldn't help but ask curiously, "What were you trying to do?"  
  
"Get them to let me go." The brunette shrugged, "They were asking personal questions. I didn't want to answer them so I decided to attack using their own game."

"That explains why Plaxum wanted to throw you at Baku." Keith hummed, moving to stare at the sea, "Whatever you said to her had her _really_  angry."  
  
"I have no idea which one that is." Lance shook his head, "They didn't exactly tell me their names."  
  
Keith shrugged, coughing a bit as his stomach twisted a bit, but it wasn't important. He moved to sit for a moment, trying to think of what they could do, "I'll ask them later then. If they found it then I'll let you know."  
  
Lance bit his lip, falling to sit next to the firebird, "Thank you."

"Best not to panic about it now, it couldn't have gone far, and stressing won't do anything." Keith hummed, twisting his toes into the sand as he thought, turning to face Lance, "I was going to show you the lagoon with the children, but would you rather do something else? I have no other plans today until I ask the mer to look for the feather."

"I don't know." Lance sighed in defeat. His entire day had been ruined by the loss of his courting gift, and honestly, he didn't think that he would be able to think about anything else other than the feather. He turned to Keith, unsure, "Could you come to the hut? Maybe you'll be able to find it? Or sense it?" Lance was desperate so he had to at least get Keith to check out the scene of the crime before he could rest.  
  
"And if we don't find it... we can go to the mer." He fidgeted with his hands, worried. "They might not want to see me but I'll do anything to find the feather. I don't care if I have to stay away while you ask them. I just... want to look for it."  
  
Also the idea that Keith wanted to introduce him to the mer children sounded nice. It cheered him up a little but still... the feather was eating away at him. His eyes moved onto Keith's wings, examining the rest of his feathers there. The one he lost was exactly the same.  
  
_How_  did this happen? He was just looking at it yesterday.

"Alright." Keith moved to stand up, holding out his hand for Lance to take, "We'll see if I can find it."  
  
Lance reached for the hand, grabbing it and pulling himself up to his feet, then holding on for just a _little_  bit longer before giving it a squeeze and dropping it, "Thank you."  
  
Keith and Lance moved, walking towards the shelters slowly, the blue pirates stomach dropping as the reached the hut he settled into and moved inside. Hunk was there, sorting through the supplies left behind by past prisoners, and turned towards them when they entered, "Hey, did you guys find it?"  
  
"I'm here to help." Keith hummed moving further into the hut, tucking in his wings as he looked through the small shelter, trying to find the familiar tug of his own power within. He felt nothing though, and now lost piece of his own power called to him as he focused on trying to sense the magic. There was a latent smell of something that might have once been his feather, but it was long gone.  
  
"It's not here." Keith turned towards the pirates, his shoulders slumping, "I'm sorry."  
  
Lance looked _devastated_.  
  
"Do you have _any_  idea where it could have gone?" Hunk asked, moving to comfort Lance, patting the tanned pirate's back soothingly.  
  
"I can smell that it used to be here." Keith sighed, moving closer towards bag that held traces of his own magic, he opened it and peeked inside, but it wasn't there. He turned back towards the other two, defeated, "This is the only thing that has any traces of my magic in it."  
  
"So it really is gone." Lance slumped down on his makeshift bed, his head falling into his hands.

"Don't worry bud." Hunk sat beside him, patting his back in assurance. "We'll find it. I bet the wind blew it away somewhere."

"That's not what happened Hunk." Lance sounded desperate, "How can it blow it away when our door was closed? You know I guard my gifts with my life. This _never_  happened to me before."

"We'll find it." Hunk promised, "Right Keith?" He turned to the firebird, "Maybe you'll be able to sense it from here? You know, just like a dog that catches drift of a scent before following it."  
  
"Are you comparing me to a dog?" Keith huffed, "I sense traces of my power here but apart from that, there are no indications of my power leaving this hut. I know it may sound strange but sometimes wind washes away any traces of magical power."  
  
Hunk looked at him in surprise, "The wind can do that?"  
  
Keith nodded, "It will be difficult to track if it flew away."  
  
This made Lance whine in frustration, looking up, "Then we have to go ask the mer." He stood up, "Let's go Keith. If it's not here, then we're wasting our time. We have to find it before the sun sets."  
  
"Are you gonna look for it the entire day?" The yellow pirate asked in surprise, "Don't overdo it bud."  
  
"I _need_  to find it." Lance stressed, opening the door to get out. "It's really important to me and even though it wasn't a courting gift... Once we find it, I'll give it back to you Keith."

"Wait?" Hunk paused, "What?"  
  
"It was a misunderstanding." Keith waved off, "Long story short: my feather could buy you a small kingdom."  
  
" _What?"_  
  
"You knew I was a divine creature, don't act surprised." Keith sighed, moving to step next to Lance, holding the door open and gesturing for the pirate to follow him, "I'll take you to the cove and ask the mer if they can find it. After that there won't be anything else we can do but comb the forest."  
  
"Sounds good." Lance nodded, walking out the hut with a nod.  
  
Keith gathered the pirate into his arms, throwing out his wings as he took to the air again. If nothing else than Shiro could help them search, but Keith wasn't overly hopeful. The forest was thick and untamed, and if the mer couldn't find it in the water then it may be truly lost. It would take weeks to search the whole forest even with Keith trying to sense the traces of his magic, and that wasn't even taking into account the leftover traces of magic and blessings he'd left behind in the forest before.  
  
He glided towards the cove, moving to land on his throne, placing Lance down to stand next to his seat. The mer percent turned towards him, some of them taking immediate notice of Lance, others ignoring him in favor of listening to Keith speak.  
  
"I've lost a feather." Keith told them, "I need help finding it."

Some of the mer gasped while others began talking among one another in wake of the surprising news. Either way, all of the mer were in a little state of panic, or concern, knowing fully well what that meant.

"Where should we look for it?" One male mer asked.  
  
"Your Divinity." A mermaid swam closer towards him, bowing before speaking up. "Are you saying that the feather may be in the water?" The mermaid, Plaxum, asked.  
  
"It may be." Keith confirmed. "We can't find it on the ground. We didn't explore the forest yet but the wind may have blown it away out to sea. To be sure, I'd like you to help me search so that I know it's not in the ocean."  
  
"And when did it disappear?" Plaxum asked on concern, "The sea carries items quickly. If it truly fell into the water, then it may have already been carried away by the tidal waves. It may... even be out in the open ocean and out of our reach."  
  
"I know." The firebird noted, "But I would still like to ask you to check."  
  
"Alright." Plaxum nodded, "We'll search around the island and even further away from our shores if we can. We'll help you find the lost feather."

"Thank you." Keith smiled while Plaxum moved to look at the pirate. She shrugged, annoyance already on her face.  
  
"If I may ask, is the pirate bothering you? Should I have him removed?"  
  
"Hah! How rude!" Lance folded his arms, grinning while looking at the mermaid, "I thought we had something between us. What happened with 'one in a million'?" He tried to put up a front, despite how terrible he felt about the feather.  
  
"Ugh..." Plaxum grumbled further, deciding to ignore the pirate completely, "Just say it your Divinity and I'll have him removed."

"He's fine." Keith waved off, leaning forward as resting his chin on his palm, "I don't need him removed."  
  
Plaxum huffed, eyeing the pirate before turning back to Keith, "As you wish your Divinity. I'll gather the rest of our hunters and we'll search for the lost feather."  
  
"Thank you." Keith nodded, straightening out as he moved to look at the gathered mer, "I can't thank you all enough for the efforts you are showing."  
  
The mer called out with various thanks and their own reassurances that they were more than happy to help. Some other mer dived into the water immediately, swimming to find the others and spread the word of the lost feathers. Plaxum gave a brief bow before diving into the waters herself, disappearing as she sank into the deepest parts.  
  
Keith stood turning towards Lance, "We'll hear about it if they find anything. Let's go search the forest."  
  
"Good idea." Lance nodded, reading himself to be flown there.  
  
Keith grabbed the pirate and flew them up towards the nearest edge of the trees and settling them on their feet. Keith focused on the woods, moving through the treeline and turning on his senses to sense the feather. Lance followed behind him, checking branches and bushes.

"This is impossible." The pirate looked around, dreading the task they were facing, "There's no way we'll be able to search for a single feather among the trees like this. The entire island is covered by the forest." It was like looking for a needle in a haystack, only this haystack was an entire island with a _much_  wider area to cover. "Can you sense anything? Maybe give us a clue as to where we can look?"  
  
Keith paused in his search, humming in thought. "I can't search for it like a dog. As I said, the wind may have erased any traces of the feather flying away if it did. I can pick up traces of my power but from what I can sense now, it's coming from the places that I know I've used my power. The temple, my treehouse, your hut, and then the volcano as well. The cave may have closed but I can still sense my power lingering within the rock."  
  
"And nothing to show where the feather could be?" Lance was beginning to lose hope.  
  
"Nothing as of yet." Keith shook his head.  
  
The brunette slumped onto the ground, admitting defeat. "We'll never find it Keith. Not only did I mistake your feather for a courting gift, but now I'm also guilty for causing a war. What if someone finds the feather? What if they want to use its power for evil?"  
  
There were so many things that could go wrong, "Could they?" Lance looked at the firebird curiously, "Your feather can cause wars but other than that, does it have any other power? What can someone do with a firebird's feather exactly?"

Keith turned to face Lance, expression turning serious as he faced the pirate. "You really don't know, do you? I thought you were just being difficult, but you don't know anything about firebirds."  
  
"Know." Lance shook his head, "I...grew up away from a lot of people, and my parents never told me anything about firebirds."  
  
The pale boy shook his head, moving to show off his wings as he began explaining, "Each of my feathers holds some of my power. Firebirds...we bring luck and good fortune wherever we go...but...we're holy beings Lance. We have a _lot_  of power. We speak to the gods, heal, bring the sunlight, bring _fire_  and warmth and..."  
  
Keith paused, trying to find the right words to describe it, "...we represent _life_  Lance. And _each_  of our feathers holds a condensed version of that power. I've heard stories of men extending their lives by _hundreds_  of years with it. I've heard of men healing otherwise incurable illnesses with them. I've heard other stories of men using them to bring gold to their kingdoms. I've heard of mages extending their own power with them, or breaking curses that could otherwise never be broken."  
  
"You can do all that with just a _feather."_ Lance gasped.  
  
" _Yes_." Keith stressed seriously, "That's why I'm on this island."

"Wow." The pirate was left with his mind blown, just now realising what he was holding in his hands and had in his possession. Then again, how could a simple feather have all that power? It was hard to believe, especially when feathers could fall easily off Keith's wings without him even knowing about it. Just like what happened to them, and the reason they're in this situation right now.  
  
"But don't you have a defence mechanism for that?" Lance asked, "If your feathers are so powerful, then you should have something to prevent them from falling off in the first place. Burning them when they fall would be a start."  
  
Keith sighed tiredly, "I can't burn them if I don't know that they fell off. It's not something I can control."  
  
"But then everyone would get your feathers without you even knowing about it." There could have been a hundred wars already if Keith's feathers just kept falling off like that, "I can't believe that you just let them fall off like that."  
  
"As I said, that's why I'm living on an island." It was frustrating but that's how it is.  
  
Great. All of this made Lance feel even better. He gathered himself, willing to resume searching for the tiny feather. "Then let's keep looking around. We have to start somewhere."  
  
Keith agreed and soon the two resumed their search. They went further and further into the forest, searching as the day slowly passed by, and before they knew it, the sun was already beginning to set. In the end, the feather was nowhere to be found.  
  
"I'm sorry Keith." Lance said as they both sat on a cliff, looking down at the sea and the waves that were hitting the rocks with force. The salty wind was cooling against Lance's skin, giving him the relief he needed. "I messed up. What if we never find it? Did that happen to you before?"

"I don't think so." Keith frowned, moving through the underbrush, trying to find the feather. He hummed, not finding anything, "My feathers usually don't just...fall out...I usually have to pick them out, or they're pulled out by something.'  
  
Lance frowned, "Then why did _this_  one fall out?"  
  
"I don't know." Keith moved past another tree, "I have no clue."

 

* * *

 

Hours of searching turned up nothing for the two, and they both ended up in a pile on beach, tired and hopeless after a long day of failure. the two lean against each other, Lance sweaty and overheated, and Keith just sleepy.  
  
"I'm sorry." The firebird reached out to squeeze the pirate's knee.  
  
"I'm the one who's sorry." Lance's head falls against the firebird's shoulder, "I can't believe it's gone."  
  
"It's not your fault." Keith sighes, violet eyes watching the sea, "Something at sea will probably eat it."

"That doesn't make me feel better." Lance rolled his head onto the shoulder, eyes looking at the sea in front of them. "I know it wasn't a courting gift but I really liked it. I cherished it before it suddenly disappeared. Whether it's lost or eaten, it doesn't make me feel any better."  
  
How did he manage to mess up so badly? Not only did he mistake the feather as a courting gift, but he also lost it. It was just _perfect_.

"I can't make it up to you Keith, but I promise that I'll try." It was the least he could do, "I'll do anything to get it back."  
  
"Don't worry about it Lance." The firebird sighed, "We'll look for it again tomorrow. Maybe we'll be lucky and the wind will carry it over for us."  
  
Lance hummed, not optimistic with the idea. He closed his eyes, immediately taking note of how warm Keith's body was. It was as if he was leaning against the warm stone Keith gave him before, the comforting warmness embracing him softly.  
  
' _I'll keep you warm_.'  
  
A sudden voice resonated throughout Lance's mind, snapping him out of his train of thoughts as a hazy of image of an older Keith appeared before him. Older Keith was smiling down at him, embracing him tightly. All Lance could feel was the incredible warmth, along with a warm touch that accompanied it.  
  
' _My fire will never hurt you_.'

The voice spoke again, so gently and loving that it made Lance melt.  
  
But soon the image disappeared and he once again found himself leaning against younger Keith. With the vision still fresh in his mind, Lance reached out to touch Keith's cheek, getting his attention. Keith raised a brow, not knowing what to expect as Lance's face moved closer towards his own.  
  
Blue eyes were close to Keith's own, a tanned hand on his pale cheek. "Will you really keep me warm?"

"Wh-What?" Keith blinked as the tanned thumb brushed over his cheek, leaving a trail of tingling skin behind as it moved down his face, "Lance, what...?"  
  
The pirate hummed, leaning in an pressing his forehead against the firebird, letting his eyes fall closed and continuing to hum contently. He thumb brushed over Keith's cheek gently, over and over, leaving the trail of skin sensitive under his touch.  
  
"Lance." Keith leaned into the touch, eyes falling heavy at the gesture, both familiar and unfamiliar all at once.  
  
Had they done this before? He thinks so.  
  
Lance pushes him down, the firebird's back hitting the sand as the pirate leans over him, brushing his thumb over the cheek over and over again. He hummed, content, keeping his eyes closed as he lulled somewhere between sleep and...  
  
' _I wish I could stay_.'  
  
Violet eyes blinked open, blinking up at soft blue, "What?"

' _But I promise I'll find you again_.'  
  
The soft voice spoke as Keith's eyes met blue, their noses touching while they both looked into each other's eyes. There was something between them they both couldn't explain, a force stronger than them taking control of the moment. It was as if the shadows of the past had gotten ahold of their bodies, using them so they are able to touch the other once again.  
  
' _And I'll wait for you_.'  
  
This time older Keith's voice spoke within Lance's mind, speaking as if they could both hear each other. And in some ways they could because now both Lance and Keith heard the voices within their minds at the same time, neither knowing that the other can hear it.  
  
' _I swear it upon the sea_.'  
  
' _And I swear it upon my flames_.'  
  
' _The sea won't hurt you_.'  
  
' _My flames will never burn you_.'  
  
' _Because_...'  
  
' _Because_...'  
  
' _I love you_.'  
  
And that's when their lips met, soft and warm as they kissed. Neither Lance or Keith found themselves questioning the situation, weren't thinking about this strange predicament at all. The only thing they focused on was the feeling of each other, exploring the other fully as the kiss deepened.  
  
Keith moved his hands around Lance's neck while the pirate slid his hands down onto Keith's black hair, gently pulling at the locks as they kissed.  
  
The firebird's wings moved, covering them fully to hide them from the outside world. Nobody else had to see this, because the moment belonged to them only. And even as they parted for air, it didn't take them long to press their lips back together again, never having enough.

That sat there for a long time, longer than maybe they should have, sharing kisses and running hands over each other. Strangely, it didn't feel wrong, or too soon like Keith thought it should have. This felt _good_ , this felt _right_.  
  
"Hmm." Lance moved down, moving away from his lips and down his jawline, "You really are _warm."_  
  
"I'm fire." Keith hummed, moving his neck back to give Lance easier access. The tanned man took the invitation, kissing downward along the neck, his hands holding the back of Keith' head and helping to lean him back. Keith's own hands were scratching along the man's back. Lance continues to trail down the soft kisses, ending it in the spot where the neck met the collarbone.  
  
"Hmm.' Keith blinked open his eyes, "We've...we've done this before."  
  
"What?" Lance blinked open his own eyes, staring down at the firebird.  
  
Keith leaned forward, finding a familiar spot on Lance's own neck and leaving a kiss on it as he took his turn to push forward and lean over the pirate, treating him the way he just treated the firebird.

Lance hummed contently, relishing in the feeling of warm kisses against his skin. Everything felt hot all over, just like small flames of fire being placed onto the spots Keith kissed. Although the fire didn't burn, only sent a warm sensation throughout his body with each and every kiss.  
  
Then as Keith reached his gills, Lance couldn't help but shiver once he kissed them, feeling the overly sensitive area react by sending a wave of pleasure throughout his whole body. "A-Ahh..." It felt so good to be kissed there, and he knew that was the most sensitive area of his body.  
  
Without even knowing it, Lance reached out to touch Keith's wing, stroking the feather with his hand. It made Keith pause in his touch. He wasn't privy to someone touching his wings, especially the most intimate part of his wings. The feathers that were the closest to his body were considered very intimate to the touch but strangely enough, Keith didn't mind it.  
  
His wings puffed, Lance's hand stroking the inner feathers while Keith focused on kissing the gills on the pirate's neck. Both found pleasure in these acts, however, when Lance finally stopped and moved his hand away, that's when Keith stopped as well, looking down at the other with lidded eyes.  
  
The pirate was hazed as well, that is until something snapped him out of the trance, suddenly realising the position he was in. He blushed furiously, and without thinking about it, pushed Keith away, the firebird falling back onto the sand with an ' _oof_!'  
  
"I-I'm sorry!" Lance sat up, completely out of it while trying to recover. What was _that?_ "Keith! I'm so, so, so sorry!" He tried to help the other up, but found it difficult to meet Keith's eyes, "I-I... uhhh..."

"I...It's fine." Keith blinks, looking up, his face having gone a bit red, "I...don't know how that happened."  
  
At least Keith wasn't doing much better than he was. Still, Lance couldn't help the deep blush of embarrassment that crawled in his stomach. They had...they were...they were _very_  close to...to... _mating_  right here on the beach. They had _really_  gotten into it.  
  
_And they were only on two courting gifts_.  
  
Well, Keith was, Lance was definitely on his third, but still. They shouldn't be doing things like _that_  before Keith gave a third gift. Although, judging by how quickly that had gone along with all of this, then things were _definitely_  going that direction soon.  
  
The tanned pirate had to hold back a shriek, because he was pretty sure next time they got caught unlike this  it was probably going to end up in sex. And Lance wasn't a virgin by any means, but this was _different_. It was _different_  when courting was involved, a lot more serious and romantic, and...and...  
  
"Are you alright Lance?" Keith questioned, tilting his head, "I'm sorry, I should have stopped. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

The pirate jumped up, "N-N-No! No, no! It's okay!" He assured, waving his hands frantically in the air, "I'm okay! I'm fine! Y-You're fine too!" He reached out to pat Keith's clothes, "Y-You're not hurt. We're both okay, completely fine! Haha! Haha... You're okay, right? You look okay and I think you didn't hurt yourself so you _must_  be okay."

Keith blinked once, twice, and then trice. "Y-Yeah... I'm okay."  
  
"Fantastic! That's great! Fabulous!" Lance chuckled nervously, his blush still there. "We're okay. _Okay_."  
  
"Lance." Keith spoke up, puzzled, "You said that a hundred times already."  
  
"R-Really?"  
  
"You did." Keith watched as the tanned pirate scratched the back of his neck nervously, his blush still there.  
  
_Quiznak_. This mating will get serious.  
  
It made Lance's poor heart go into a beating frenzy. Oh _heavens_ , will he finally have luck in love? But if he was about to get serious, and potential mating was around the corner, then he had to make sure to show Keith one thing before they would get _really_  earnest about this.

"The beach." Lance looked up, gathering courage to meet Keith's eyes. "Come there tomorrow, early in the morning. I need to show you something."

"Okay." Keith nodded, tilting his head and humming, "What is it you need to show me?"  
  
"Th-that's a surprise." Lance chuckled, scratching the back of his neck nervously, "Don't want to ruin it before you can see it, right?"  
  
Keith hummed, nodding, "Yeah, that makes sense. It's not a bad surprise, is it?"  
  
"No." Lance shook his head, "I just...really need to show you if we're going to keep courting."  
  
Keith frowned a bit, obviously concerned by the words, but nodded and chose not to pry yet, knowing he would be told tomorrow. He moved to grab Lance's hand, nodding at the pirate at he kept his eyes firmly on the blue orbs, "Alright, I trust you."  
  
Lance felt his _whole body_  warm under the sheer power of his blush. He felt a spark of hope, because maybe this courting _was_  going to work out. Depending on how Keith reacted tomorrow...this could be it. He could very well have completed his mission to find a bride.  
  
...  
  
Even if that bride turned out to be a guy with a mullet.

 

* * *

 

"Hunk! Hunk!" As soon as Keith dropped him off, Lance made a run for it back to the huts. It was late at night so he was sure some of his crew was already sleeping but he _had_  to tell somebody, and who better than his best friend? He swiftly made his way inside the hut he shared with Hunk, shaking the other pirate awake. "Hunk! You _have_  to hear this!"

"W-Wha!? What!?" The larger pirate sat up, ready to fight if need be. "W-Who's there!? Who-"  
  
"We kissed!" Lance didn't waste his time, excitedly holding onto Hunk's shoulders. "We kissed and then he placed gentle pecks on my neck and! and! He was _so_  gentle and _warm_  and considerate and ahhh!" He stopped himself short of squealing, barely containing his excitement as he shook the poor unknowing pirate beside him.  
  
"What? You kissed!?" Hunk asked, baffled. He couldn't believe his ears, finally coming back to his senses with that new knowledge. "How? When?"  
  
"Today!? Hunk! We almost _mated_  on the beach! It almost happened and he gave me just two gifts! Okay, I thought he gave me three but it turns out he didn't, and you know that I don't mate unless three gifts are given so it was a definite no for now. I kissed him first and then he let me kiss his neck! Then he pushed me down and-and then he kissed my gills! My _gills_!" Lance blushed furiously.  
  
"He actually _likes_  them Hunk! He kissed them and then I touched his feathers! I didn't even know I was touching them until I came to and-and he was looking at me really closely and he felt so _warm_  and _hot_  all over as if we were on fir-"  
  
"Whoa!" Hunk raised his hands up, "Hold up buddy! I know you're excited but I can't keep up with you." Hunk couldn't help the wide smile that began spreading across his face. The blush on Lance's face was intense, and he could tell his captain was barely holding himself back. "Calm down a little. Then you can tell me everything."  
  
"Calm down!? Hunk! You have to listen to me! Okay, so we began searching for the feather and-" Lance continued, not being able to hold in his excitement. Hunk could only sigh, watching his best friend fondly as he told him about his day.  
  
Hunk didn't have it in him to interrupt Lance as he talked, content on listening to what he had to say. Even though Lance squealed a couple of times, causing their fellow pirates to wake up.  
  
"Shut up lover boy! I'm trying to sleep!" Pidge.  
  
"We know you're in love but keep it down captain!" Matt.  
  
"Hey! I'm captain!" Allura, "And shut up Lance! We need sleep for tomorrow's activities!"  
  
"Oh young love! Let me tell you about the time I-"  
  
"CORAN!" Everyone yelled all at once, Lance's smile widening.  
  
"Haha!" He laughed, a laugh of pure joy. "I think I found it! Haha!"  
  
Hunk's smile was ever wide, contently watching as Lance laughed and cried tears of happiness at the same time.  
  
All the while the rest of the crew was shouting for him to shut up.

 

* * *

 

"Plaxum." Keith landed onto the nearest branch to the lagoon he'd found the mermaid lazing in, landing on the edge of the branch with a quickly, a little panicked himself, "I need your help."

"What is it your Divinity?" Plaxum looked up from her spot in the lagoon, blinking lazily at the bird, a little tired and just wanting to rest, but also unwilling to ignore the boy when he looked so desperate, especially after her failure to find his missing feather today. It was a failure that would haunt her for the rest of her days, "What do you need?"  
  
"I kind of got caught up in courting." Keith admitted, "And I think it's getting _really_  serious. What did you do when you courted Florona?"  
  
_That_  caught the mer off guard. Suddenly the mer was throwing herself up, eyes blown wide, causing the red headed mer sleeping next to her to jerk awake as well, but she was a _bit_  distracted by the news the firebird just dropped on her, "You _WHAT_?"  
  
"I need advice?" Keith twisted his hands, "I _really_  need help here. I haven't _done_  this since...since...two or three lifetimes ago! I'm panicking!"  
  
"Wait! Slow down! You're _courting_?" Plaxum hissed, swimming away from her bed. Florona, who was blinking sleepily and looking lost, suddenly gasped and joined her mate in interrogating the firebird, "Who? When? How?"  
  
"I'm not sure _how_ it happened." Keith replied honestly, "But it's that pirate, the blue one, Lance."  
  
" _Him_?" Plaxum wrinkled her nose, "The one that _everyone_  wants to throw at Baku? The one that's successfully insulted ever single guard _and_  Queen Luxia? _That_  one?"  
  
"I'm sure he's not that bad." Florona comforted, rubbing her wife's shoulder, "He can't be if Keith is courting him."  
  
"Are you sure it's the blue one?" Plaxum turned back toward Keith, "Not the yellow one...or...or...the brown one?"  
  
"I'm sure." Keith nodded, "And I need advice."  
  
"We trust your judgement Keith." Florona replied, elbowing her mate to keep silent as she asked, "How can we help?"

"I need advice on what to do. What... courting gifts should I give? Or anything else that might help me." He may have done this before in his past lifetimes but he still felt like a newbie at this.  
  
"But is that really okay?" Plaxum asked, "He's a _human_. An annoying human." She grumbled under her breath, "And we're mer. I don't think our courting traditions would apply to him."  
  
"What Plaxum is trying to say is that he may not like our preferences. I don't think humans even do courting your Divinity so we're unsure." Florona chirped in to help, voicing out their concerns.  
  
"That's alright." Keith didn't mind, "Tell me about mer courting. Most of the principles should be the same. And then give me some... other tips as well."  
  
"Are you sure your Divinity?" Plaxum was hesitant, "That human is sneaky! He may very well be tricking you."  
  
Keith shook his head, "I would know if he's deceiving me. Trust me on this one."  
  
The two mermaids looked at one another, Florona chuckling happily before facing the firebird. "First of all, courting gifts." She raised her finger up in the air, "We mer like to receive presents which we can see our potential mate dedicated time to. Not something one can simply pick up and label as a courting gift, but something that was hand made or had a lot of thought gone into it. Does that make sense?"  
  
"Put thought into my gifts... handmade..." He thought about the warm stone he gave Lance, and then also the necklace. Both of them fit the description perfectly which meant that he didn't mess up just yet. "Got it."  
  
"We like it when our mates touch our gills." Plaxum pointed to her gills on the neck, "I can't _even_  begin to explain how wonderful it feels like to have your gills kissed or caressed." Realising what she was saying, Plaxum blushed, looking away. 'I-It feels nice!"  
  
Florona raised the tip of her tail up, "We also judge our mates based on the colour of our scales. Each colony of mer has their own trademark colour that belong to them. Most of the mer here have blue scales, the colony in the south have yellow while in the north they mostly have green. But in our own shoals, we judge our mates based on how well kept their scales are."  
  
"Exactly." Plaxum nodded, "Florona has red scales that are rare while I have blue that is common of our shoal. But apart from the colour, up-keeping is important."  
  
Keith took note of all that, trying to remember all of the details.

"The fourth gift is the most important." Florona pulled herself up, sitting on the trunk next to Keith, her damaged tail hanging loosely above the water as he sat. The true reason she'll never swim in the sea again, but she didn't seem overly bothered right now, too excited by the prospect of Keith's courting, "You can get a bunch of _little_  gifts between them, but the fourth gift is _the most_  important. Each gift represents the four oceans, and the last one is the promise of eternity."  
  
Keith froze, his body straightening up as he leaned in towards Florona, "You mean...a proposal?"  
  
"Yep." Plaxum pulled herself up on the other side of Keith, tapping at the necklace around her neck as she spoke, "That's _the big one_  and has to be _the most_  important. That's the one that can _never_  leave you, so most mer make some sort of crown or jewelry to show it off."  
  
"I...think it's a little too early to consider that level of commitment." Keith blushed, hiding his face in his hands.  
  
Florona giggled, ruffling Keith's hair playfully, "That's fine, we just want you to know for when you're ready."  
  
Keith's feathers fluffed a bit, and he couldn't help but blush harder, "What about everything else?"  
  
"Well..." Plaxum hums, "I don't know about humans, but you want to take _extra_  care to dote on your courting mate during certain parts of the season. Scales become brighter during seasons when they're more fertile, and, it doesn't line up for everyone, but they'll be brighter and more affectionate. Though...I doubt you'll have a problem with getting him pregnant, you both being male and all."  
  
Keith blushed _deeply_.  
  
"Lance has gills." Keith hums, "And a few scales."  
  
Plaxum frowns, "So he's not human then?"  
  
"He might be something else. A water nymph from the north or something, I'm not sure."  
  
"That would explain him being immune to our song." Florona hummed, "Though I'm still not sure if mer courting applies to him."  
  
"It can't be _too_  different if he's a water creature." Plaxum hummed, turning back towards Keith, "Alright, take care of those gills and scales, treat them good and you'll have a happy mate."  
  
"We can help you make good balms for them." Florona beams, leaning in, "Things to help you both feel good if you decide to commit to this."  
  
"What?" Keith's voice cracks a bit.  
  
"And we can help you find stones and such to make the _perfect_  courting gifts if you need them." Plaxum hums, "And it never hurts to bring them good food in between gifts, show them you can provide and be a good partner."

"Food. Stones. Okay, got it." Keith took note of that, trying to remember everything. He should fly over now and pick some fruits so that he has time to gather everything in the morning. Lance did specify that he wanted to meet _early_  in the morning so he'll have to hurry.

"Thank you for the tips." He stood up, spreading his wings.  
  
"It's our pleasure your Divinity." Both Plaxum and Florona slightly bowed, looking up with smiles, no, grins on their faces. "Please come to us if you need any... special items."  
  
"We promise to make your mating experience even more pleasurable." Florona chirped in, smiling widely.  
  
Keith's blush was _incredibly_  deep. His face all red as he flapped his wings, taking to the skies. "I'll see you both later! Thank you for the advice!"  
  
The two mermaids chuckled, watching as the firebird flew out into the moonlight. 

 

* * *

 

Lance barely managed to sleep, his mind in complete chaos as he tried to calm himself down. He was about to show his potential mate _who_  he really was and it was driving him crazy. The crazy part about it? He had actually gotten to the point of _showing_  his potential mate who he was! That's how serious this had gotten! It _never_  got that serious!

That's why Lance squirmed in his bed, waiting for any sign of the sun to rise up so that he could start getting ready. He couldn't give Keith a fourth courting gift but he did want to give him little gifts in between. That's why he managed to talk Hunk into helping him this time, dragging the larger pirate out of their hut to make the present at night.  
  
Hunk, the kind soul, even gave him an idea as to what the gift might be. A flower crown. Yes, it may be girly, but Lance loved the idea. Sure, it didn't suit his pattern of sea themed gifts but it wasn't a _big_  gift, just a little one. Surely a flower crown will be enough to let Keith know that he missed him at least. Or show him that he's still committed.  
  
_Quiznak_. He was in soooooo soooo deep.  
  
Lance blushed, holding the crown in his hand. He'd been looking at it for the past hour but he _still_  wanted to check if there were any faults. The leaves all looked to be in the right place, flowers all accounted for as he held it gently in his hands.  
  
And thank the heavens for a first sign of light because as soon as Lance saw a speck of sun on the horizon, he shot out of his bed. Sure the island was covered by clouds but thankfully Shiro left a parting in the sky, so that the occupants knew when the sun would rise. It was considerate, and very thoughtful. Lance wasn't sure if he was doing it because they're here but either way, he appreciated it.  
  
Lance walked out of his hut, preparing himself before he would venture out.  
  
"Okay McClain, your courting depends on this." He aimed to motivate himself, casting any doubts aside, "He kissed your gills, that must be a good thing." The thought made Lance stop in his walk, blush spreading across his cheeks.  
  
"Oh no! no! Don't blush, don't blush." He can't afford it! He didn't meet Keith yet and he was _already_  a mess! Okay! Whew! Focus!  
  
Surely Keith will like what Lance has to show him. And while Hunk was fast asleep, Lance made sure to strip and clean _all_  of his scales. He went over all his scales at least a dozen times, making sure they were all clean and presentable. Oh _quiznak,_ what if Keith isn't into scales? What if he doesn't think Lance cleaned them well enough?  
  
So many things could go wrong.

The brunette gathered himself, slowly making his way to their meeting point. It was going to be okay... Keith will approve of him... He'll like his scales and their colour and shine and... oh god. Will he? Lance wasn't sure and it made him nervous.  
  
Arriving on the beach, Lance sat down on the sand, holding the flower crown in hand. Was this a good idea? Maybe he should have continued with his sea themed gifts... Please let this work out…

The sound of flapping wings filled the air, and before Lance could call his rapidly beating heart Keith descended, a basket under his hand, landing with a soft thump as he sat himself on the sand next to the pirate. The firebird tucked in his wings, folding them as he gently placed down the basket between them, "Morning Lance."  
  
"M-Morning Keith." Lance raised a hand in greeting, so far so good.  
  
"I brought us some fruit." Keith hummed, pulling back the cloth covering the basket to reveal a whole mess of mangos of different fruits, "I thought you wouldn't have had breakfast this early, so I thought I could find some for us to share."

That was really considerate.  
  
"T-Thanks." Lance reached out to take a mango before biting it. Oh God, it tasted so good. Or maybe it was so good because Keith picked it up? Either way it was heavenly, as if a messenger of the god delivered it, quite literally.  
  
As soon as Keith took out a fruit for himself, Lance remembered his gift. He cleaned his hands before raising it up towards the firebird, "This is a gift from me. It's not big and it's not sea themed but I still hope you'll like it."  
  
Keith was surprised, taking the flower crown from Lance to examine it. Wait... Was this? "A-And it's not your fourth courting gift?"  
  
"W-What?" A small blush spread across Lance's cheeks, shaking his head to get rid of it. "N-No. It's a small gift is all." He assured, wanting to make that clear. He was no fool to give the fourth present while Keith didn't give him a third one yet. Also, they didn't mate yet so he wouldn't dare present a fourth gift now.  
  
"I see." Keith hummed, placing the crown on his head, "Thank you, I really like it."  
  
"You do?" Lance perked up at that, "Even though it's not sea themed?"  
  
"I don't mind if it isn't related to the sea. As long as it's a gift from you, I'll accept it." Keith bit into his fruit, hiding the small blush he had of his own.  
  
Lance, meanwhile, felt his heart beat in its ribcage rapidly. This man right here, the one with a mullet, had already won him over completely. He didn't know what it was yet, but there was something about Keith that made Lance extremely warm inside. And he wanted to keep that warmth, to relish it.  
  
That's why today was important.  
  
The pirate stood up, placing his fruit back into the basket. He took in a deep breath before taking two steps away, turning to Keith. "About my surprise, are you ready for it?"  
  
Keith watched curiously, unsure of what Lance was about to do. "Should I be worried?" He had no idea what this 'surprise' was so Keith was a bit wary. Then again, Lance assured him yesterday that it wasn't anything dangerous so he supposed that he could trust him on it.  
  
"I promise it's nothing that'll hurt you." Lance swallowed a lump in his throat, nervous. "You just have to sit there and watch."  
  
Keith slowly nodded, placing his own fruit down to observe.  
  
Lance proceeded to take off his long blue jacket, Keith raising a brow at that. Then the brunette continued on to take off his shoes, and okay, Keith could let that pass, but what he didn't expect at all was for Lance to suddenly begin taking off his shirt. "W-What are you doing?" He asked with a slight blush on his face, trying to look away.  
  
"Showing you the surprise." The pirate frowned, noticing that Keith was looking away. "Please look at me Keith. This is important."  
  
Having said that, the firebird slowly turned back, taking in a deep breath as he tried to maintain his eyes on the brunette in front of him.  
  
Back on track, Lance reached down to undo his belt, taking off his pants to leave him in his underwear shorts. Keith watched with a blush but also a tint of curiosity. When Lance took off his shirt, Keith could make out some blue scales he had never seen before. He was tempted to look away but couldn't, eyes glued onto the pirate as his pants fell down onto the ground.  
  
Keith stared in awe when he finally got a good look at Lance's bare legs. His legs were covered with shining blue scales, clean as they shone in the little sunlight they had. Lance’s scales concentrated around his legs the most, as if he had a tail when he didn’t.  
  
Those scales stretched up to his stomach where they began to disperse and decrease in number. Lance's scales were a deep sea blue colour, mostly covering his legs and then stomach. Only a few of them on his hands and upper part of the body where Keith had seen them.  
  
The brunette turned around in a circle, making a point to show all of himself to Keith.  
  
This was the time his mate would judge him.  
  
Whether he's suitable or not.  
  
"W-What do you think?" Lance managed to ask, fidgeting with his hands as his eyes met violet.

"You've got a good color." Keith hummed, staring at the scales, enjoying the way they spread across Lance's skin. They were a very good blue color, especially for the skin tone, and they matched his eyes very well and fell onto his body lightly. They were clean too, clearly well taken care of, "You've taken good care of them."

Lance _beamed._  
  
Keith moved closer, examining the the scales as he moved closer towards the pirate, reaching out and lightly brushing his fingertips against them. He hummed, satisfied to find that they were good, definitely well taken care of, no doubt. Keith was suddenly grateful of the years he spent with the mer so he can properly appreciate this now.  
  
He should probably properly present his feathers in return, especially his peacock feathers. He hummed, tailing his fingers further over the scales as he studied his courting partner's body. Lance was gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.

"Y-You really like it?" Lance asked, flinching as Keith's fingers moved against his scales. He felt goosebumps throughout his body, but for a completely different reason than one may think. Keith's touch was lighting him on fire, so very pleasant that it made his body melt under the touch. Quite literally, and Lance couldn't help but blush as the warm hand met his scales.  
  
"I mean it." Keith said, eyes meeting blue. "They're beautiful."  
  
Lance felt so many emotions hit him all at once, not being able to contain himself. He felt so incredibly happy and over himself at the same time. He wished he could save face, not break down in front of Keith like this, so he stepped forward, hiding his face against Keith's chest.  
  
The firebird was taken by surprise but relaxed shortly, moving his wings around them protectively. It felt so good and so _right_  that Lance wanted to stay protected by these wings forever. He smiled, moving his hand across Keith's upper body. "Then you know what I am now."

"I do." Keith moved to embrace the other, Lance returning it.  
  
"And you don't mind? You don't think it's weird?" He asked, uncertain.

"There's nothing weird about being a hybrid Lance." Keith hummed, rubbing circles in the brunette's back with his thumbs.  
  
"You really don't mind?" The brunette asked, burying himself against the firebird, his hands reaching around Keith's neck in a hug, his head falling against the pale chest and listening to the gentle and steady heartbeat, "You won't change your mind?"  
  
"Why would I change my mind?" Keith brought a hand over, brushing his fingers through Lance's short locks, "This feels too right."  
  
"No one else took it well." Lance confessed, "Mer hybrids aren't exactly the most well received out there, by humans or mer."  
  
"Is that why you hide your gills and scales?" Keith asked, not stopping his doting, an inner instinct leading his hands as he rubbed circles in his back, "You don't have to worry with me. Firebirds don't have the best time revealing who they are either."

"R-Really?" The pirate asked, leaning further into Keith's neck.  
  
"Didn't I tell you that my feathers cause wars? I can't reveal myself or else everyone will jump on me." Keith shrugged but it had a positive effect on Lance who chuckled in response. Yes, this felt _too_  right. It was perfect in every little way.  
  
Keith's touch, his warmth and his wings. His kindness and most importantly his acceptance. Ahhh... This was it. If Lance was any more sure that this firebird had stolen his heart then it was right now. "It's strange." He leaned his hands further back against Keith's head, softly pulling on the black strands of hair.  
  
"We barely know each other and yet I'm already at a point where I feel comfortable enough to reveal this secret of mine. You have me swooning all over you already. Is that normal?" He asked, lips close to Keith's ear, "Or is there some supernatural force at play here?"

"I'm certainly not brainwashing you, if that's what you mean." Keith huffed playfully, not actually offended by the comment but teasing it anyway, "I don't have the ability to do that, and I think I'd never stop hearing it from the ocean if I did."  
  
Lance chuckles, "Good to know someone has my back."  
  
"You mean other than your crew?" Keith smirks, "Or do you think they wouldn't try to drown me in water."  
  
"Only if that brother of yours doesn't throw a hurricane at them." Lance continues chuckling, "Even they aren't dumb enough to fight a hurricane.'  
  
"Lance." Keith fake gasped, "Are you calling your loyal friends fools?"  
  
"Only if they try to take on your brother without preparing for it first.

"You have a point." Keith hummed in agreement, his hands still touching the scales as Lance breathed out against his ear. Their bodies were warm against each other, leaning close while the warmness only increased. Lance literally felt like he was on fire, the gentle flames enveloping his whole from where he stood.  
  
The pirate began placing soft kisses along Keith's neck, the firebird letting him while exposing his skin further. He closed his eyes, strangely relishing the touch of those lips against his skin, even though he knew that he shouldn't be feeling this way so soon in their courting. Then again, his emotions were stronger, and everything in his body told him that it was meant to be this way.  
  
Lance felt the same, letting his actions speak for him as he continued to trail kisses along Keith's neck, then moving past his chin and onto his cheeks. That is until he met those soft lips, kissing them gently before Keith parted them, allowing for Lance to explore further.  
  
Their kiss was deep and affectionate, the large wings of the firebird hiding them from the world. It felt so intimate, and a moment that was made only for them. The way Keith's wings protected them, while also puffing made Lance warm inside, as if he already wasn't on fire.  
  
He held his hand against the back of Keith's head, gently pulling at the locks as he deepened the kiss further.

Keith hummed into the kiss, pulling in deeper into it. He felt a tongue brush against the bottom lip, his interest peaked, opening his mouth to let it in. Lance took the invitation, using this chance to explore Keith's mouth, his tongue exploring every nook and cranny, licking around Keith's own tongue as he went.  
  
He grinned when Lance pulled away for air.  
  
"So..." Lance started, his forehead leaning against Keith's, "How do firebirds present themselves to a potential mate?"  
  
"Seriously?" Keith snickered.  
  
"Well, I showed off my beautiful scales." Lance grinned, motioning towards the scales in question, "I think it's your turn to present to me. What if I change my mind? For all I know you could have bad feet or something."

"Well, first off." Keith huffed, feeling his chest puff up at the challenge, "We present our feathers on full display, including our tail feathers."  
  
"Oh gods." Lance covered his mouth with his hand, trying to hide the smile, "Like real peacocks? Is _that_  what those feathers are for?"  
  
"No." Keith huffed, crossing his arms, "They're some off my most powerful feathers."  
  
"I _have_  to see them, I haven't been able to get a good look at them." Lance pulled back, leaning his arms back to hold himself up, "Come one, spread 'em. I've only seen your flight wings so far."  
  
"I don't think you deserve to after that attitude." Keith hummed, grinning and looking away, moving to set his eyes on the ocean's body. He crossed his arms in fake outrage, trying to school his feathers a bit, but he knew it was a wasted effort, too high on this feeling of how _right_  everything felt.

"Playing hard to get? That's okay, I like that mullet." Lance teased, poking at Keith's flight feathers, "Or maybe you're scared because you know that I won't like your pattern. You know everyone makes fun of peacocks for showing off their feathers." He teased further.  
  
"Or maybe you're chickening out on me." He poked another feather, "Get it? _Chickening_  out?"

The firebird felt his smile fall, turning to the brunette with a scowl.

"Hey, I'm trying." Lance folded his arms, "I stripped myself naked for you, so now I want to see if my potential mate doesn't have bad feet or maybe foul breath." He leaned his hand against his chin in thought, "Do you have those?"  
  
Keith kept looking at him, unimpressed.  
  
"Or maybe you're shy? I won't judge you if you have a weird pattern on it. I'm sure it's beautiful." Lance assured, a teasing smile on his face.

"You're trying to tempt me to show off." Keith turned away, his wings folding against his back, "But I don't think I want to if everyone's just going to pick on me for showing off my feathers."  
  
"Oh, come on Keith." Lance stood up, moving to lean against the firebird, who was purposely looking away from him, "You know I was just teasing you. Pleeeease show me, I really want to see."  
  
"Hmm, I don't know." Keith kept his arms crossed, looking away, "I don't think you actually want to to see my weird patterns."  
  
"Keeeith, I'm sorry." Lance was hugging the firebird now, "Please, please, _please_  show me. I really wanna do this all proper, and we can't do that if you don't show off for me. Come on, please?"  
  
Keith couldn't hold back a grin, shaking his head slightly as he replied, "Alright, you win, I'll show you."  
  
"Yes!" Lance punched the air, backing away with his eyes still firmly locked on Keith, an eager grin on his face as he plopped down and settled on the sand, crossing his ankles and leaning back on his hands. Sunlight shined off his scales, and he was sure Lance would have to hydrate them again soon. He'll show off a bit and get Lance into the water, right after he wiped the smug grin off the tanned pirate's face, "Come on beautiful, show me."  
  
Keith rolled his eyes, but lifted a hand to unwork his silken clothing just enough to uncover them and make it easy to show off the feathers. He paused for a bit, suddenly nervous and insecure, because he hadn't done anything to shine them or anything before this, not expecting to show off for a mate so soon, but he swallowed the fear, and worked the oft neglected muscles in his lower back that moved the feathers.  
  
The feathers fanned out behind him. These were the most colorful and brilliant of his feathers, each one decorated like an individual fire, spreading from the deep blues in the center and out into the shimmering gold and reds around the edge. These feathers had their own glow, always lighting up the night skies when they were out, now well seen in the sunlight, but easy on the eyes at night. He made sure his flight wings were squeezed as tightly down as they would go, leaving room for Lance to see the fanned out tail without hindrance.  
  
Violent eyes flickered towards the pirate, his teeth scraping against his bottom lip just a bit, "So...how are they?"

The pirate had his eyes wide open, staring at each of the feathers individually. He took time to observe each and every one of them separately, noting the many colours and patterns that were on them. It was strange because even though they all had the same pattern, each one of them was special in their own way. "They're beautiful." He stood, walking up to Keith to get a closer look.  
  
"Just like beautiful flames of blue, red and gold. They're shining brightly in the sun." And Lance was sure that if the clouds weren't there to obstruct the sun from shining brightly, then the feathers themselves would be glowing under the sunlight.  
  
Lance smiled, eyes on the feathers before moving to meet Keith's violet orbs. He raised his hand up to brush Keith's flight feathers, not really sure if he should be touching those feathers in the back. They were beautiful yet intimate as well. He didn't want to make Keith uncomfortable so he settled on stroking the flight feathers he could reach.  
  
"They're stunning Keith. I can't believe you hesitated on showing me." He stroked his hand gently against the feather, "They really are mating feathers. If everyone could see them, you'd have a long line of potential mates lining up for you."

"You're flattering me." Keith tried to hide his red face and smiled, but Lance was having none of it.  
  
"It's not _my_  fault you're gorgeous." Lance flirted, stroking the flight feathers as he leaned in, "What am I supposed to do with this? If someone elses sees you they'll be shoving four courting gifts at you before you can blink. How am I supposed to fight them all back?"  
  
"I don't think you have to worry about that Lance." Keith turned to face the boy, running his fingertips over the scales on the pirate's leg.  
  
"You say that _now_." Lance ran his fingers through the feathers, still careful to avoid the mating feathers, "I bet you're beautiful even among other firebird. Knowing my luck, we'll meet another one and they'll take one look at you and fall in love. They'll swoon and try to whisk you away and make little baby birdies."  
  
"Firebirds are created Lance." Keith chuckled.  
  
"Not going to stop that firebird." Lance snorted, "You're so gorgeous, they'll take one look at you and propose on the spot."  
  
"You don't have to worry about another firebird." Keith give his own snort, "Why would I want them when you're right here?"

Oh damn! Those words made Lance a mess, face instantly blushing while he leaned against Keith's chest to hide it. "You're dangerous Keith. Way too _dangerous_  for me."  
  
"Huh?" The firebird tilted his head to the side.

"I thought I was a good player but _you_ , you're something else. You may look like the cool type but the moment you make a move, it _pierces_  the chest of your victim right away." Damn! How is Keith so smooth? It may not be a big deal to him, and he may not realise the power in his words, but they did make great impact.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Keith asked, still confused.  
  
"It means that I'm swooning over you and that we're going out on a date." The pirate gathered himself, trying to pretend his blush wasn't there. "There aren't many places we can go to but I'll make the most out of what I have."

"Oh?" Keith blinked, unfolding his wings as he moved to follow the hybrid, "What do you have in mind?"  
  
"Hmmm." Lance would have to think hard on it. He couldn't let Keith out woo him, he had to keep up his reputation had the number one lover boy, which meant he was going to have to swipe the firebird off his feet. Now if only there were something to _do_  on the island. He couldn't take Keith to a play, or to see musicians, or magical performers. He was going to have to get creative with this one.  
  
What did he know about the island? It was surrounded by water, had a lot of mer, had some springs and a temple. There wasn't a lot to go on, and he had the disadvantage of not knowing as much about the land as Keith did. Damn, it was no wonder Keith liked boring stuff like puzzles. The mer had to have _something_  to entertain themselves though.  
  
A picnic maybe? All nice and romantic? Or private time at the springs with plenty of cuddling and kisses? Hmmm, what to do? What to do?

The more Lance thought about it, the more he realised that he was in trouble. There was absolutely _nothing_ he could do to make this date magical. And as their first date, he was having none of that. It had to be _perfect_  and it had to be entertaining or else Keith won't approve of him.  
  
But _what_  could he do?

He didn't think that Keith would willingly go into the water to swim. Both because of the dangerous creatures lurking within it and because of the obvious; the fact that he couldn't breathe under the water.  
  
Lance thought back about what Keith said before, trying to remember if there was anything the firebird wanted to do. He did mention mer children. Did Keith want to go there with him? It didn't hurt to ask.  
  
"The kids that like to bite on your toes. Do you want to go play with them?" He asked curiously, facing the firebird.

Keith perked up at the suggestion, his flight wings fluffing up a bit, "I wouldn't be opposed to it."  
  
Lance's lips quirked at the sudden excitement in Keith's voice, he moved to stand up, gathering his clothes and brushing the sand off them as he turned towards his courting partner, "Then why don't we go do that? That sounds like something that would be fun to do?"  
  
Keith bodily perked up, "That's fine. I'll fly us there, it's right next to my treehouse so it's not too far."  
  
Lance grinned, slipping his clothes back on before throwing himself into the firebird's arms. Keith didn't even wait, throwing out his wings and flying them into the air, taking them above the treeline, and flapping them towards the right location before stopping to glide downwards toward the lagoon, stopping on his favorite branch.

"Wow! It's really shallow here." Lance noted, looking around at the mer that were in the water. The children got rowdy as soon as they noticed Keith gliding down towards them, however, as soon as they noticed Lance with him, they submerged their heads, some completely while others partially.  
  
Curious eyes stared at the two, unsure if they should approach or not.  
  
Lance blinked, shoulders slumping at their reactions. "Right, I almost forgot that I'm the big bad pirate." Damn, and he was so sure that this would be a good idea.

"Don't worry, they're just shy." Keith promised, "Let me handle this."  
  
Keith flapped his wings, gliding down to hover above the water, dangling his feet just over their heads, tempting the little mer guppies to try for his toes as they so loved to do. It had an immediate effect, as at least one child popped their head back over the water, and the rest were left eyeing the small digits, trying to resist temptation.

The pale boy decided to push them further and dipped his big toe into the water.

That was it, that was the breaking point for some of the mer children, and more than one threw themselves at the firebird, sniping at his toes. Keith smirked, flapping across the water as the children gave chase, moving in round circles and sloppy formations to try and catch Keith's feet.

Lance smiled as he watched Keith with the children, amused by the way they were chasing the firebird. What was it with children and toes though? Don't they know that feet aren't usually the cleanest part of the body? Then again, it could be their instincts, practicing for the time when they would need to catch real fish. It made Lance remember his own childhood and the times when he went to practice catching small fish with his mother in shallow waters.

He pushed those thoughts aside in favour of joining Keith and the kids, jumping down from the branch and into the shallow waters. The sea reached up just above his hips, shallow enough so that he could walk but also deep enough if he wanted to swim.  
  
He kept his head up as he took a step forward but hesitant on breaking the moment. Keith looked really happy, not to mention the kids who were giving him chase with smiles on their faces. It was a sight to see.

Keith noticed him in the water and glided by him, kicking up some water to hit Lance in the face, then the mullet head had the _nerve_  to laugh and glide away, the children trying to leap after him.  
  
Lance stood there, water dripping from his hair, gapping. Oh, _it was on._ Keith had just officially declared war. If he thought he could get away with an attack on him, then he didn't know Lance McClain, greatest and most gorgeous captain on the sea, _well_ , he would learn.

The pirate readied himself, waiting for Keith to get within range, than launched himself at the firebird, catching him around the midsection and knocking him into the water. There were some cries of confusion, and Keith struggled a bit before he seemed to realise what happened, "Lance! That's cheating!"  
  
"All's fair in love and war!" Lance cried, flicking water in Keith's face. Keith didn't take that laying down, through, and threw water right back at the pirate. Soon they devolved into a splash fight.

The mer children watched curiously, afraid to approach but observing in wonder as the firebird laughed and splashed water at the pirate. Some smiled, joining them in the fun. Now that Keith was in the water, some of the children took the chance to grab at his toes, making Keith wince.  
  
"O-Ouch!" The firebird jumped up, but unable to fly now that his wings were wet.  
  
"Ha! And so the firebird has his toes bit!" Lance splashed more water onto the other, moving to try and evade Keith's own splashes.  The children joined them fully now, splashing water onto Keith's face.  
  
"W-Wha!?" Keith was taken aback, suddenly water splashing onto him from every direction. "T-That's unfair!"  
  
"Everyone is free to choose a side! Don't be a sore loser Keith!" Lance and the children continued in their attack, Keith raising his hand up to admit defeat.  
  
"I surrender!" He called out, the splashing ceasing when he did.  
  
Lance had a grin on his face, hands on his hips while he stood proudly in place. "We win."  
  
The mer children giggled, swimming around them happily. Lance took the chance to submerge himself under the water, watching as the children swam. It was an experience to see these small mer swim, especially since they're so young and still learning.  
  
The brunette paused when he spotted one mer child looking at him with curious eyes. He smiled, waving happily in the water. The mer took this as a good sign, swimming closer. Lance reached a hand out, waiting for the child to take it, which he did with a smile.  
  
Bingo! He's getting there!

Letting go, he resurfaced, looking at the now wet firebird. "This is one of the best dates I had already." He teased, smug.

Keith smiled, his feathers dripping sadly behind him as he crawled out the water, shaking off the water as he sat himself down on the shore, barely escaping as mer children continued to pull at his toes. Keith winced a bit, but it was easily overshadowed by a smile and the lightness of the mood, "Me too."  
  
Not that the romantic moment stopped the mer children from turning on the two, some risking crawling after Keith, and others deciding to dog pile Lance while he's distracted. The two are helpless as the multiple children victoriously defeat them in battle.  
  
"I surrender!" Lance cried as the children crawl all over him, most of them aiming for his toes, "I've been defeated. The great Captain McClain has fallen."  
  
"Tiny hands." Keith growls as the children catch him, "My one weakness."  
  
"Why are there _so many_  of you?" Lance laughs, trying to crawl away, it's not working very well.  
  
"That's my fault." Keith speaks up, "One of the mer used a feather for fertility spells over the shoal."

"What!? You can even do that!?" Lance shot up, turning towards the firebird, "You have the power to help everyone get their game on? Wow..."  
  
Keith couldn't help but blush at that, flustered as he turned away, "M-My feathers are divine. Of course I have the power to do that as well."  
  
Lance was completely taken by surprise. But then if Keith has all this power, then how does... "If you have the power to give everyone a boost, then what's your own game like? Don't tell me you destroy in bed because-"  
  
"Stop that." Keith turned around completely, extending his wings to hide himself.  
  
"Oh my God." Lance gasped, "You are divine in bed! Wow..."  
  
"There are kids here you know." Keith huffed, "You shouldn't talk about that here."  
  
"Oh." And Keith did have a point. Unfortunately. "Fine, you win this time but I want you to tell me about this later." Lance teased, grinning as he tried to get the children to let go.

"Their parents are going to _kill_  us if they go back to their rooks talking about destroying beds because they have strong game." Keith managed to free himself from the clutches of the children, rolling _just_  out of their reach.  
  
"I'm sure we'll be fine." Lance called after him, trying to make his own escape by reaching onto a low hanging branch and pulling himself up. Some of the more stubborn children still held on to his feet and legs, but they ultimately failed and fell back into the water. Lance grinned, settling himself onto the branch as his eyes flickered back over to the dripping firebird a few feet away. Keith was just starting up his flames, trying to dry himself, but Lance was content to sit back and enjoy the view.  
  
The new and exciting possibilities...  
  
The pirate hummed, seating himself back as Keith's wings dried enough for the boy to move around comfortably.

"Dried?" Lance asked while Keith shook his wings.  
  
"Yep." The firebird nodded, joining Lance on the branch now that he could fly again.  
  
The pirate looked down at the children who were peeking at them from underneath the water with curious eyes. They watched, as if waiting for the two to join them again. Lance smiled, turning to Keith, "Sorry, this is as far as my plan goes." He admitted, "I'm didn't get many ideas for our first date. There's not much we can do on an island. If we were in Balmera, then maybe I could take you out for lunch but here..." He felt guilty about it but at least he tried.

"Don't worry about it." Keith reassured, "I've lived on this island for this entire part of my life, I'm used to it."  
  
"Still..." Lance lamented lowly, his eyes sweeping over the forest as he tried to think of what else he could do for Keith to make this date magical, "I wish I could think of something else to do for you. I want this to be special."  
  
Keith couldn't help the fond smile that painted it's way across his face. It was just...so sweet that Lance was trying so hard to impress him and make this date romantic and memorable. It made the pale boy's heart beat just a little bit faster.  
  
"It already _is_  special Lance." Keith moves to place a hand on the pirate's shoulder, "It's...nice...doing this with you."

"You're just trying to make me feel better." The pirate huffed but smiled either way, "I wish you could swim, then I could show you a world you've never seen before."

"A world I've never seen before?" Keith questioned, tilting his head.  
  
"Yeah." Lance turned to look out into the sea, "There's a whole new world out there within the sea. It's really amazing when you're able to experience both. Makes you cherish each one all the more." He turned to Keith again with a smile on his face, "Just like the world you've shown me from up above."  
  
The pirate reached to stroke Keith's outer wings, "This allows you to enter the world up above in the skies, while this..." He moved his other hand to touch his gills, "Allows me to experience the world underneath. It's really cool when you think about it."  
  
The firebird hummed in thought, having a feeling that he understands what Lance is talking about. "It's too bad I can't visit your world then. I'd be curious to see what it looks like."  
  
"It's magical but also mood changing." Lance leaned against Keith's shoulder contently, "I'm sure you'd love it just as much as I love the world you've shown me."  
  
"Hmmm..." Keith let his head lean against Lance's own, allowing himself to relax. It was nice to sit with someone on his favourite branch like this. It felt a bit less lonely this way.  
  
"Keith?"  
  
"Yeah?" Violet eyes opened to look at the pirate beside him.  
  
"Let's meet tomorrow again. I'll bring you another courting gift." A small present to show how grateful he is for today.  
  
"Okay." A smile spread across Keith's face, already thinking of what his own gift could be. It had to be something thoughtful, something that will show Lance that he had put effort into his courting gift. He thinks that he already has an idea, but he'll think about it further.  
  
And so the two continued sitting on the branch, leaning against each other while the mer children played around. Some continued looking at them curiously while others still tried to grab at their toes. However, this time, they were unsuccessful.

 

* * *

 

Thunder resonated throughout the skies, looming above everyone's heads. It was frightening to hear for the children, but the thunder wouldn't harm anyone. It only loomed above, protecting the island from any dangers that may come from the outside world.  
  
Lance was sleeping contently in his bed, covered with a blanket as he held his necklace close to his chest. He had a smile on his face, dreaming of his date with Keith and the many more things they'll get to do in the future.  
  
However, while his mind was busy dreaming, his body sat up. Black aura surrounded him, eyes black as his orbs moved to look at Hunk, observing and judging if the larger pirate really was sleeping. Establishing that he was, Lance stood up and made his way out of the hut.  
  
He looked around, the thunder loudly roaring from above while he grinned. The clouds may be protecting the island from outsiders, but it had no way of protecting them from within.  
  
' _You will help me gather materials_.'  
  
A dark voice spoke, Lance's eyes moving to look at the sea. He took a step forward, taking off his clothes as he did.  
  
' _Your ability to roam both sea and land will be beneficial for me_.'  
  
' _Gather the items I need so that I can take the firebird's immortality_.'  
  
"Yes." Lance muttered, now in his underwear as his feet touched the cold sea water of the night. He didn't mind the chill, walking in further before he submerged himself completely, swimming within the dark waters.  
  
Lance's dreams were innocent, that is until a dark shadow came and crushed them all.

 

* * *

 

Hunk wanted to say that the sun was shining brightly in the morning, blue skies were decorating the skies above only... they weren't. Dark clouds lingered above them, preventing the morning light from fully entering. It created this depressing atmosphere that Hunk didn't think he would be able to get used to but he knew that it was morning nonetheless.  
  
Compared to night, the scenery was much lighter today, or perhaps it was his body's inner clock that told him it was morning already? Either way, it was time for him to wake up. Hunk sat up, stretching his hands in the air, yawning, before noticing that the bed of his roommate was empty. "Lance?" He called out, and upon further inspection, he noticed that his captain wasn't in the hut.  
  
Huh, strange.  
  
"Lance?" Hunk took a step outside, wanting to see if his fellow pirate was there. He wasn't, which made Hunk think that he may have already left on another courting date with Keith. Lance wasn't a early riser so the thought that he was already up for Keith told Hunk volumes.  
  
He was really happy for him. Hopefully this will all work out and his captain will finally have a mate- "Lance!" Hunk called out as soon as he spotted the brunette laying down on the beach. Approaching, he noticed that Lance was almost naked. The only thing he had on himself was his underwear, and by the looks of it, it was dry. Did he venture out into the water? Touching the scales, Hunk noticed that they were dry as well. This definitely wasn't good.  
  
"Lance! Wake up!" He shook the other, Lance slowly coming back to consciousness. The captain blinked, looking around before spotting Hunk.  
  
"H-Hunk? What's up?" He tried to clear the haze, blue eyes meeting Hunk's own.  
  
"You were sleeping on the beach naked! What do you mean 'what's up'? Your scales are drying under the sun!" He helped the tanned pirate sit up, "See? And why are you naked? Aren't you trying to hide these?"  
  
Realising that his scales really were dry, and that he was naked, Lance quickly stood up. He examined his scales first, noting how dirty they were. "H-How!? I made sure to clean them yesterday before meeting with Keith!"  
  
"Well, they're dirty now." Hunk noted worriedly. "Get into the water. It should help."  
  
Lance listened, running towards the sea before submerging himself. The water felt nice against his warm skin as he proceeded to clean his scales. He took extra care to clean each scale, mindful to scour them fully. All of the grime made him wonder just how he'd managed to dirty them in the first place. He clearly remembered going right to sleep when Keith dropped him off after their date, so how?  
  
Once he was done, Lance swam back up, making his way to his shared hut with Hunk. Putting on dry clothes was reassuring because that way he knew that nobody will be able to see the scales that he's trying so hard to hide. Nobody knows, that is except for his crew and Keith. He doubts Keith would sell him out so he was sure that his secret was safe with the firebird.  
  
"You okay buddy? What did you do last night?" Hunk asked, watching as Lance threw himself onto his bed.  
  
"Must have been sleepwalking. Either way I'm really tired." The brunette grumbled, turning in bed.  
  
"You do that?" The larger pirate quirked a brow, "Really?"  
  
"Maybe?" Lance waved his hand in the air, "I'm tired Hunk. Let me sleep for a bit more."  
  
"Okay... But don't you have another date with Keith soon? Aren't you going to make a courting gift?"  
  
Hunks words immediately made him sit up, "Quiznak, you're right." The courting gift! He had to find one! "I have to get going!" He stood, running towards the door. "Thanks Hunk! See you later!"  
  
"O-Okay! See you later Lance!" The yellow pirate waved as Lance ran in search of a courting gift.  
  
Huh... What a strange morning.

 

* * *

 

Keith knew he would have to break the news to Luxia and Shiro that he'd gotten caught up in a courting sooner or later, but he'd also thought that _he_  would have at least been the one to tell them.

He _severely_  underestimated the running mouths of small children and their inability to recognize when they shouldn't talk about things. So his punishment for forgetting such a detail was waking up to his older brother flipping his hammock over and sending the younger male falling into the nest below, jerking away half way through and unable to orient himself enough to stop the fall.  
  
"Shiro?" Keith jerked up, glaring at the man, "What the actual fuck?"  
  
"When did you start courting that pirate?" Shiro crossed his arms, looking down at the firebird disapprovingly. It was _that_  look, the disappointed dad look that Shiro had long ago perfected.  
  
Keith felt himself freeze up, "How did you find out about that?"  
  
"Oh, only the whole damn shoal is talking about it." Shiro responded sarcastically, "Hard to figure out really, only everyone knows."  
  
" _What?"_  Keith shrieked a bit, eyes blowing wide, " _How_?"  
  
"Oh, just some chatty children going around talking about how you and the pirate played with them on your ‘date’ and how they finally got your toes." Shiro hummed, his arms still crossed, "Keith, you know I trust you, but are you _sure_  about this? This man is a _pirate_  and mortal. Do you really even know anything about him? Are you sure he's not trying to get your feathers? Or trick you to into helping him get off the island? Or get you to trust him enough to get _you_  off the island?"  
  
"Shiro, Shiro, calm down." Keith held his hands up, trying to calm his rapidly panicked brother, "None of that is going to happen."  
  
"I just want you to be _sure_  about this Keith." Shiro stressed, his heavy hands landing on Keith's shoulder, "We've got an emperor coming straight for the island and this guy is a pirate who doesn't want to be here. What are you going to do if he escapes? What are you going to do once the _emperor_  gets here? Keith, that man is going to bring an army once he knows you're here. You and I might have to leave the island for a while and have the mer take refuge in deeper water levels. What will you do then?"  
  
Keith froze, "A-are we really going to leave?"  
  
"I don't know." Shiro shook his head, "Maybe not, it depends on what the Gods tell you, but we're making plans Keith, and I want you do consider that while you're doing this."  
  
"And...what about the pirates?" Keith twists his hands together, "What will we do with them?"  
  
"I don't know Keith." Shiro shakes his head, "But, whatever happens, we _can't_  let that man get you."  
  
Keith's stomach drops. He turns, not wanting Shiro to see his face while he sinks into dark thoughts. He bit his lip, more than a little unhappy with the situation, but not having an argument for his brother at the moment.  
  
"I just want you to think about this Keith." Shiro sighs behind him. Keith hears a shuffle, and the padding of bare feet against the wooden flooring as his brother leaves, the sound of heavy wings flowing not long afterwards.  
  
The firebird sat miserably in his next, his body slumped and wings drooping sadly from his back. He hadn't thought about any of that, of the fact that Lance was trying to leave, or that Zarkon man who was heading his way.  
  
What was he going to do? He couldn't left Lance stay here and die. None of his crew were involved in this, and they shouldn't be forced into a battle against an emperor just because they got a little greedy. He had to get them out of here before Zarkon got to them, but how...  
  
Keith jerked up, an idea coming to him, he threw out his wings and took off, heading towards the cove.

 

* * *

 

It won't work.

He won't make it in time.  
  
But most importantly, it's the lamest courting gift he could have come up with.  
  
Lance struggled to to tie all of his gathered shells onto a single sting of seaweed, tying everything together to make a necklace. The idea wasn't original because Keith already beat him to the punch and gave him a necklace much more beautiful and powerful than Lance's puny one.  
  
If he had divine powers like Keith, he would enchant this necklace with all of his power if he could, but he doesn't have any of that, so the only choice he was left with was decorating. Luckily he managed to gather some pearls to add onto the necklace. However, even pearls weren't enough in face of Keith's magnificent courting gift.  
  
Quiznak.  
  
He messed up. This gift was unoriginal, trash, and could never hope to compare it to Keith's own. Finishing it, Lance observed his work, noting the messy way some of the shells were tied onto the seaweed, along with the fact that some of the shells were barely hanging onto the string.  
  
Great. This made him want to cry.  
  
He threw himself down onto the sand in defeat, looking up at the cloudy sky before him. He was a failure. His courting gifts will never be as great as Keith's own. Will Keith even accept this necklace? It was a last minute idea, and one he painstakingly went out to gather decorations for but now... he wasn't so sure.  
  
He sighed, looking up at the dark clouds above. He felt his heavy eyelids close for a second, forcing them to open again. He felt tired, so incredibly tired as he laid down. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to fall asleep for a second? Just so he has the time to gather energy before Keith arrives.

Lance screamed as a hand landed on his shoulder. He whipped his head around, eyes shooting wide as he found himself face to face with a concerned Keith. Mortified, the pirate threw himself up, "Keith! Why are you here so early!"  
  
"It's almost noon." Keith frowned heavily, looking more than a little concerned now, "Lance? Are you okay? You look exhausted."  
  
"Me? Not okay? I'm great! Fine! Fantastic even." Lance laughed, exaggerating his moments and trying to stay awake so he didn't fall asleep on Keith. He wasn't about to mess up his second date just because he was a little tired. Even if his gift wasn't nearly as good as he wanted.  
  
"You don't look so good." Keith replied, lifting a pale hand to brush under Lance's eyes, "You've got eye bags, and you don't look like you've gotten any sleep at all. You need to rest Lance, we can go on a date later."

 "What?" That hurt Lance much more than he would like to admit, "I'm fine Keith, really, I promise." He raised his right hand to touch Keith's own, "You can't cancel out on me like that when it's only our second date. My pride won't take that." He insisted, hoping Keith got the message.  
  
"I don't know Lance. You were fast asleep when I got here." Keith was wavering.  
  
"Oh no! It was just a little nap, nothing else. I promise." He leaned closer against the firebird, relishing the warmness of Keith's body. "Then how about this... We have a date, but you get to choose what we do. I think that would be fair then, no? I get a date, and you choose what we do. As long as I can to be with you then I don't care what we do."  
  
"So you're fine as long as I'm there?" Keith raised a brow at Lance.  
  
"Yeah." Lance nodded, resting his head against Keith's shoulder now, giving his hand a squeeze and trying not to let the other boy notice his eyes drifting a bit shut, "Anything you want darling."  
  
Keith hummed, and Lance liked the way the sound vibrated against him way to much. Honestly? How was he this gone already? Did it have something to do with Keith being a firebird? Were all of them just the most beautiful creatures? Or was it a Keith thing? Lance was willing to bet good gold it was just a Keith thing.  
  
"I want to rest with you then." Keith decided, nodding his head, "Lets get out from under the open skies and rest somewhere. I'll take you anywhere, as long as we get some sleep."

"Hmmm... Does that mean we're already at _that_  stage?" Lance teased, closing his eyes as he leaned against Keith, " I knew you wanted a piece of this ass."  
  
This made Keith blush, thankful that Lance wasn't able to see his face. "I said that we're 'sleeping'. How did you get that idea? You're impossible."

"Awww babe, I can see right through you." The pirate raised both of his hands up to wrap them around Keith's neck, "Take me anywhere you want, I'm at your mercy."

The firebird's blush intensified, his wings puffing a big as he extended them. He picked Lance up, taking to the skies. Now then, where would be a good place to settle and hide from the sun? He already has an idea in mind, and he's sure that Shiro wouldn't mind... _too much._  
  
Keith flew smoothly, gliding across the skies before landing on the deck of his treehouse. The leaves from the tree were casting a heavy shadow on the house itself, shielding it from the sun while also giving them the quietness they needed. Keith placed the pirate down, Lance looking around himself in awe.  
  
"Wow... Is this your house?" He suddenly realised what this meant, "Are you okay with bringing me here? What if I decide to rob you in the middle of the night?"

"You're trapped on a small island and I can fly." Keith poked the pirate gently, "I don't think you would get very far."  
  
"Once again you sadly underestimate my abilities as the greatest pirate captain to ever sail the seas." Lance shook his head in mock disappointment, "You'll learn once I steal all your stuff while you sleep."  
  
"Good luck getting down a rope ladder without wings." Keith replied sarcastically, moving over towards his nest.  
  
He stopped for a moment, violet eyes flickering between his hammock and his nest as he tried to decide which one Lance would be more comfortable in. The nest, being lined with blankets and silks, and just being bigger in general, would be more comfortable. The problem was that nests were also more...personal...  
  
The ravenette shook his head. He was being stupid, he and Lance were in the middle of courting and the nest had more room for the both of them, it wasn't like they were about to actually mate right then and there. Besides, Keith still had to give Lance a third courting gift before he considered that.  
  
He moved to the nest and settled Lance down in it.

"Is this really okay?" Lance asked, tired eyes following Keith as he straightened up, "I don't want to intrude."  
  
"It's fine." Keith assured, joining Lance in the nest so they could both lay down beside each other. As soon as he did, the pirate moved his arms around the other, embracing him while leaning his head against Keith's shoulder. The warmness of Keith quickly relaxed him, his eyes long closed.  
  
"Sorry I messed up our second date. I also messed up the first one." And as if fate would have it, he keeps messing up the dates that actually matter to him.  
  
"You didn't mess anything up. I loved our first date. It was special." Keith assured, moving his wings over them as a makeshift blanket. "As for the second date, it's not your fault that you didn't sleep at all." Now that he thought about it, "Why didn't you sleep?"  
  
"I don't know. I thought I did." The brunette frowned slightly, baffled as much as Keith was. "But that's okay. As long as we're still having a date, that's all that matters."  
  
"You're weird." Keith moved his hand to push some of the locks off Lance's face. "Really strange."  
  
"That's how I am. Deal with it mullet." The pirate teased, suddenly remembering his gift. He reached out into the inside pocket of his coat, taking out the necklace he made this morning. "T-This is for you. I'm so sorry it turned out like this. I wanted to make something special but it turned out like... this." Tanned fingers brushed against pale ones as Keith took the said gift, "See? I can't do anything properly. Even my gifts suck."

"Don't be stupid." Keith huffed, taking the necklace and putting it around his neck, letting it fall into place, "I love your gifts."  
  
"They're nothing compared to yours." Lance sighed, rolling his eyes up to try and catch a glimpse of Keith's face, "How's my dingy little necklace supposed to live up to a stone that can protect me from harm?"  
  
"Only three times." Keith gently reminded, poking the pirate a bit, "And don't insult your gifts. You've given me very beautiful gifts despite a lack of time and supplies. And I wouldn't have accepted them if I didn't like them. Or are you saying that I don't have any taste?"

"You don't have any taste in gifts." Lance admitted, humming contently as he snuggled closer to the other. Ahh... So warm, "But you have a good taste in courting partners. I'm the biggest catch of the sea."  
  
"At least you're admitting that you're a big catch." Keith smiled, leaning closer, "The most beautiful fish I've ever caught."  
  
Lance blushed, burying himself further into Keith, "You're embarrassing."  
  
"And you're weird." Keith fought back, "Really, really special."  
  
Tanned hands clenched against Keith's shirt, his blush intensifying. Still, he closed his eyes, leaning against the warmth that was Keith. He closed his eyes, letting himself relax. With the warmth, and Keith beside him, it was no surprise that it took Lance a matter of seconds to fall asleep."

Keith closed his own eyes, trying to drift off as well, unlike the pirate he had gotten sleep last night so it was a bit harder to drift off. Eventually he was able to lull himself into a light sleep, just falling into the nice place between rest and sleep...  
  
' _I wish you could stay_.'  
  
' _I'll sail every sea until I find you. I'll never stop looking looking, no matter how many lives or how long it takes_.'  
  
The hallow ocean whispers old and forgotten things to him, brushing against his feet as he settles on far colder lands. He's in the far north, where the snow almost never stopped falling. His love lays in a boat beside him, surrounded by things he loved in life, hands folded gently across his chest as he lays peaceful. His eyes will never open again, and Keith sends the ship into the ocean, where his love belonged, the ship burning as it goes.  
  
Keith's eyes snapped open, violet eyes zeroing on Lance, who he _swore_  was in that boat only moments ago. But no, he was sleeping peacefully beneath Keith's wings, breathing and full of life.

With the dream still fresh in his mind, he snuggled closer to the pirate, tightening his wings around him as he held the other tightly in his arms. He felt great sorrow sweep through him, tears building at the corners of his eyes. He tried to hold in the great emotions that suddenly hit him, but he was unable to, sniffing with tears falling down his cheeks.

The tight hold, along with Keith's cries, slowly woke up Lance whose blue eyes looked at the other in confusion. "Keith?" He reached up, his thumb brushing a few tears as they fell, "What's wrong?"  
  
But the firebird continued sniffing, unable to answer.  
  
"It's okay Keith." Lance moved both of his hands on Keith's cheeks, brushing the tears away, "You're safe Keith, it's okay."

"I'm always the one that's okay." Keith shakes his head, falling against the pirate's chest.  
  
"Keith, shhh." Lance petted the boy's hair, trying to lull the firebird back to sleep, "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"  
  
"I...I don't _know_." Keith replied, "I don't know if it was a nightmare or a memory."  
  
"Shhhh." Lance pulled the firebird flush against him, his fingers brushing through the thick locks of inky black hair, "It's alright now Keith. You're safe here, and I'm here, and everything is going to be alright."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"No." Lance shook his head, "Don't be. It's not your fault."  
  
"I shouldn't have woken you."  
  
"I'd rather be awake and make sure you're alright than let you have a nightmare." Lance promised. "Just lay here and let me hold you."

"I'm sorry." Keith whispered again, holding onto the pirate tightly.  
  
Lance hummed, kissing the top of Keith's head gently, "You silly firebird. There's nothing to apologise for." He stroked Keith's hair gently, pulling him closer to himself. Keith's wings folded tightly around them, soft in their touch. Lance let himself relax, resisting sleep as he continued making sure Keith would calm down.  
  
He began humming a song, one that he sang ever since he was a child, but unable to remember where he learned it. His humming was quiet and gentle, stroking Keith's soft locks as he hummed the melody.  
  
Keith listened closely, eyes opening once he realised that he knew the tune very well. He heard it somewhere before but he wasn't sure where...  
  
"Flying high above the clouds." Keith whispered, Lance pausing in his humming to listen.

 _Flying above the heavens where we'll meet again_  
_My fire burns within the night_  
_The golden flames will never hurt your soul_  
_You are the one whom my heart belongs to_

Lance's breath hitched. Something within him cracking. His lips moved, singing his own version of the song.

 _Sailing on the blue sea where I'll find you once again_  
_The water carries me to the rising sun_  
_Waves wash ashore where you are_  
_You are the one whom my heart belongs to_

Tears began falling down Lance's cheeks as well, sobbing. He wasn't sure why he was crying, but he was. It was as if he'd found a part of himself he was missing. The other half of the song he sang ever since he could remember.  
  
"Lance..." Keith looked up, his own tears falling down his cheeks.  
  
"H-How?" A shaky voice asked, "How do you know the melody?"  
  
"I don't know." Keith shakes his head, trying to bury his face in his hands, "I don't _know._ I just do."  
  
"Keith." Lance tries to pull the firebird close, as if he could just absorb the boy into his body somehow, "Keith, come here."  
  
"I remember it." Keith says, his face still hidden behind his hands, "I remember it, but I don't remember from where. I...didn't you and I make it up Lance? Were we the ones who sang it? I thought we were."  
  
" _Keith_." The tanned pirate buries his face in the raven hair, " _Keith_."  
  
"I..." Keith shakes his head, pulling his hands away from his face, his eyes trained on the fingertips, but all he sees are hands and boats and promises by the sea, "Lance...Lance...I remember you. You were real, you were there. It was you Lance."

Lance's breath hitched, tears streaming down his face as he held onto Keith tightly. His chest was tight and his entire body felt torn apart. He couldn't comprehend this feeling, or the emotions that suddenly overtook him.  
  
' _Lance_.'  
  
He heard an all too familiar voice, eyes opening to see Keith's gentle face. The older firebird in front of him was smiling, a smile so _fond_  it made him melt. He remembered their promises and the love they had for one another. The incredible feeling of longing, he remembered everything. All of it, even Keith's crying face when he...  
  
"I-I remember it too Keith." He barely managed to say between his loud sobs. " _Keith_.... _Keith_.... You were t-there. Y-You promised you'd wait for me." His breath hitched again, breaking down completely, "Your wings were as red as t-the sun... And you had a long braid. I-I remember... You always had it on your right shoulder."  
  
Lance's hands were tight around the other, "Y-You always made me do y-your hair. A-And we sailed the sea together-w-we..."

"I'm sorry." Keith buried is face in the pirate's chest again, trying to hide his shame, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm _so_  sorry Lance."  
  
"Keith." Lance was squeezing him tightly now. He never wanted to let go, too afraid he'd lose the firebird again after the last time, "Keith, I found you. I kept my promise. I found you Keith."  
  
"I'm so sorry Lance." Keith shook his head, "I'm sorry I didn't come for you sooner. I'm sorry I died and forgot everything. I'm so sorry."  
  
Lance didn't want to hear any apologies from this beautiful birdbrained idiot, so he shut the boy up with his mouth. Keith complied almost instinctively, leaning his head back and deepening the kiss, his arms moving to reach around the pirate's back and scratch down the shoulderblades the way Lance had always liked when they were together before. Gods, now it all made sense why he and Keith clicked together and felt so _right._ They'd done this all before, had done this for _years,_ knew each other's habits and bodies as well as they knew their own.

The pirate pulled away, moving to place kisses along Keith's neck, reaching for the spots he _knew_  were the firebird's favorites. He _knew_  this body, he knew what to do, and it felt good to finally, _finally,_ hold it again after so long. Gods, how long had it been? Long enough for Keith to die at least twice. Either way, it had been too long since he'd held his lover.  
  
Lance was a bit different now, but he thinks he's similar enough that Keith knows exactly what to do, just with some bonus this time.  
  
_"Keith."_ Lance moans the name, still not quite able to believe that he'd found the firebird after all this time, all that searching. Even when he didn't remember, he just _knew_  that he had to find him, "I'm so happy Keith. I'm so, so, happy."

"I can't believe you're finally here." Keith whispered, the disbelief raw in his voice. "I thought I'd never see you again. I thought-I forgot. I forgot Lance and-and I'm..." His tears had no intentions of stopping, continuing to pour down his face, just as much as Lance's own tears were heavily falling down his cheeks.

"But you remembered." The pirate moved to place a loving kiss just under Keith's eyes, wiping the tears away with his thumbs as best he could. "You remembered me, and I remembered you. And I _found_  you Keith. I found you after all this time and I just-"  
  
" _Lance._ " Keith moaned out, taking hold of the tanned wrist as he began placing kisses down Lance's own neck. Lance didn't have gills before but now that he does, Keith found a new spot that he _knows_  Lance is weak to. He moved his lips, kissing the gills gently.  
  
The act made Lance hitch, his toes curling from the pleasure. "K-Keith..." Amidst the pleasure, Lance managed to reach out and touch Keith's courting feathers, making the firebird flinch. "Y-Your ultimate weakness." Lance kept smiling, leaning closer to the other, "Your wings always puffed when I touched it."  
  
And it was true, Keith's wings were completely puffed, feathers pointing at random directions. But Keith didn't care, too caught up in the moment to pay attention to it. All he could see right now was Lance, just as Keith was everything Lance managed to see in this very moment.  
  
There was an invisible energy around them, pulling them closer towards each other. The force of their longing... hundreds, thousands of years of being separated, now the result of it was showing and they couldn't take their hands off each other.  
  
" _Lance_  please forgive me. I forgot, I-"  
  
"Shhhh..." The pirate leaned in, kissing deeply to taste all of Keith. Both of their tears were falling down their cheeks, uncaring as they kissed. Parting, their hands roamed the body of the other.  
  
Keith focused on the gills and Lance's back, while Lance focused on Keith's inner feathers, as well as his courting feathers. Not only that, but there were other places Lance _knew_  as Keith's sensitive spots.  
  
"K-Keith... Please... I want you so _bad_." Lance moaned out, pulling Keith closer as if they could get any closer than they are right now.  
  
"Lance, you have no idea how much I want _you_." Keith buried his face closer to Lance's neck, his wings enveloping them whole.  
  
"C-Can we? Y-You didn't give a third courting gift-Ah!" Lance let out a moan when Keith gently bit on his neck.  
  
"I've courted you many times before. I want to do it in this lifetime."  
  
"Hmmm... I still want you to court me in this one." Lance moved, leaning in to bite at Keith's collarbone, making the firebird let out a moan of his own.  
  
" _Keith_... _Keith_... _Keith..."_ The brunette looked up, eyes meeting violet. "I love you Keith. I loved you then and I love you now as well."  
  
"I love you. Lance... I love you so much."  
  
Lance didn't even think about it when his hands moved, helping Keith take off his clothes while Keith did the same for him.

That was the moment their love blossomed once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBlueBell: Autumn is coming and that means I'm going to be in a good enough headspace to get a lot of work done!!!! Also, I've been in the Adventure Time fandom for years and I'm riding the high of my OTP being canon. They Korrasamied their way into canon and 20gayteen blessed be with three red/blue w|w kisses. Come on Klance! You can do it! Join the red/blue canon!!!!
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: Congrats AT fans! You're so blessed... *cries* ;3;
> 
> Chapter Betaed by the wonderful SilviaMoon.
> 
> Tumblr:  
> MsBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	5. Dark Magic

Allura was fairly certain she had been given a rare and wonderful opportunity.  
  
While the cursed island was most certainly a wrench in her plans, she was more than happy with the results that came from being on the island. Not only was Lance in the process of finally completing his mission in life to find a mate, but that mate happened to be a rare and powerful creature that could help her regain her lost fortunes. If that firebird was near her...then maybe she could restore Altea to its former glory.  
  
She didn't want to _use_  the firebird, no, she wasn't a monster and wouldn't take him from his home, but she could certainly see the upsides to having a creature like that nearby. He would likely be more powerful and bring good fortune if he was particularly happy...or at least she hoped so.  
  
And Zarkon was coming.  
  
She shook off the thought for now, choosing to focus on the task at hand. The firebird was glorious, very glorious, but her eyes had landed on a far different prize. Everyone was always so caught up with the firebird that they missed the other treasure of the island.  
  
The thunderbird was powerful, as large as a ship, razor sharp teeth, the ability to shapeshift into a human and fit seamlessly into a crowd. Capable of summoning storms whenever he pleased. He could bring anything from a light rain to horrible hurricanes, an ability that would be _critical_  to a pirate such as herself. The thunderbird, Shiro, may well have been a sapphire next to a diamond when it came to he and his younger brother.  
  
Everyone overlooked him in favor of his divine brother, but Allura could recognize his worth.  
  
She wanted him as part of her crew.  
  
And she would get him.

 

* * *

  
  
"Oh gods." Lance gasped as he threw his head back, "I forgot how good you are."  
  
The pirate wasn't ashamed to admit he was _wrecked_  right now. He was numb all over, sore and used both front and back, but he felt _fantastic_. He'd forgotten how much stamina Keith had, and his current body definitely was going to have fun getting used to _that_  again. Not that he was the only one going to have to make adjustments, he was _delighted_  to find out that Keith's current body was virginal, he was so _sensitive_.  
  
Gods, it had been a long time.  
  
And now came the cuddly afterglow, another thing he _desperately_  missed. Keith hadn't been very touchy the first time around, which meant the cuddly side of the firebird was a rare treat. But Keith had grown out of that hesitancy in time, and Lance was more than happy to see that his lover had gotten a bit past that in this lifetime. Still, the cuddly afterglow came with its own, intimate power. And the bonus of having a pinkish and nude Keith pressed flush against him, shimmering and breathless against his chest, inky locks stuck against his forehead while violet eyes fluttered up in a blissed out daze.  
  
"Hmm." Keith hummed, his chin resting against Lance's chest, fingers lazily tracing against Lance's blue scales, "You're so good Lance, so good, I think you may have ruined me. I don't know how I've made it without this."  
  
Lance leaned back, letting himself feel a bit smug, because _damn_.

"That was the finest sex of my life. Quite literally." Lance breathed out in content, moving some of the sweaty black locks away from Keith's forehead. "Do it again babe." He asked, holding Keith's hand, their fingers intertwined as fire suddenly engulfed their hands.  
  
If Keith lit their hands on fire like this, one can only imagine what he did during sex.  
  
"I'll never get over this." The pirate purred while Keith hummed. Their bodies were pressed close, and even though they were both warm from each other's body heat, they didn't care at all. As far as Lance was concerned, he was already melted wax in face of Keith's warmth and his flames.  
  
"We did this before." Keith breathed out, "My fire never burns you."

"Hmmm..." Lance leaned back when Keith moved his own hand to push away the sweaty hair from Lance's own face. "Do you like the scales?" The brunette asked curiously, "This time it's a bonus."

"The scales are definitely exciting." Keith hummed, running his fingers over them again, "I like how smooth they feel."  
  
Lance grinned, bringing his own hands up to scratch along the base of Keith's spine, brushing against the mating feathers and stroking along them. Keith shivered against him, having always been weak and melting against Lance's body when the man plays with them, "I'm glad to see this still works."  
  
"D-Don't you mock me you bastard." Keith hissed, his mouth reaching for the gills, lightly biting at them and causing the pirate to moan and give his own shiver, "You've got your own weakness now."  
  
"Hmmm~" Lance was satisfied with laying there and letting this happen again. Keith, however, pulled away. The firebird stretched out a hand, reaching for the discarded clothing they'd carelessly tossed to the floor.  
  
"Babe." Lance groaned, wrapping his arms around Keith and turning them over, letting his dead weight pin his lover, "Just a little longer."  
  
"I don't have a lock on my door." Keith wiggled a bit, "We should at _least_  cover ourselves."  
  
"In a minute." Lance nuzzled Keith's hair.  
  
Keith slumped against him, giving up for all of ten seconds before he seemed to think of something. He perked up then, leaning up to whisper in Lance's ear with a smirk, "You know, my friends Plaxum and Florona promised to give me things that would help make your scales feel _very_  good during sex."

“What?" That got Lance's immediate attention. "Really?"  
  
"Yes." Keith nodded, his smirk ever wide, "It's suppose to make your scales smoother and more slick. I thin-"  
  
"What are we waiting for!?" The pirate reached out for his clothing over the firebird, more than excited by the news. "We're getting that magical potion and then we'll have more fun later." Perfect! How could he resist something like that? As if sex with Keith wasn't heavenly enough, it could be even better? Hah! They're going to get i-  
  
"Keith?"  
  
The two froze as soon as they heard Shiro's voice outside the treehouse. They quickly grabbed at their clothes, but because they didn't have the time to put them on, Lance settled on covering himself, Keith's wings covering his body to hide him from Shiro's view.  
  
Keith, himself, remained on the bed, covered by nothing more than his clothes and a part of his wing before the door opened.  
  
"Keith did you-" Shiro paused at the door, eyes immediately landing on Keith's bare figure. Thankfully, his wings were hiding his privates, but most importantly Lance who was under his wings and behind his back.  
  
_Quiznak_.

"W-Why are you bare?" Shiro didn't dare take another step, holding onto the door in total confusion.  
  
"It is warm outside." The firebird quickly thought of an excuse that would work and wasn’t a lie.  
  
"Warm? For a firebird?" Shiro tilted his head to the side, clearly not believing Keith's excuse.  
  
Lance chirped in, moving to whisper into Keith's ear, "You were playing with yourself."

"I-I was playing with myself!" Oh heavens... Keith will _never_  live this down. It will follow him for many lifetimes to come.  
  
Shiro _stared_  at him.  
  
Shiro stared and stared and stared until he finally found it in himself to shake his head. The man closed his eyes, looking like death would have been preferable to dealing with this, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took another few moments before he answered, "I didn't need to know that."  
  
"Ah...um...you asked?" Keith defended weakly, vowing to _kill_  Lance himself once this awkwardness was over. A slight breeze blew by, and the southern wind laughed at him as it blew his hair away from his face.  
  
"I was just coming to tell you that one of those pirates has started questioning me about the island, the woman, I think she's the captain. I don't know, so I just came to see if you heard anything from the ocean." Shiro shook his head, finally deciding he would just turn around and stare out the window, ignoring everything that just happened.  
  
"Uh...no...I haven't heard from the ocean in a few days." Keith told his brother, desperately hoping that the thunderbird would continue to remain ignorant of the fact there was a naked pirate in the room.  
  
"Alright, I'll relay the news to the pirate captain." Shiro nodded, moving towards the doorway. He stopped at the entrance though, his back facing Keith as he spoke again, "Also, let's pretend this never happened."  
  
"Absolutely." Keith let out a long sigh of relief.

Shiro closed the door behind him, leaving Keith in the quietness of his treehouse. However, it was only after he heard the flapping of wings and thunder that Keith finally looked back at the root of his embarrassment.

" _Lance_..." He growled, wings stretched out in an intimidating manner as he stared holes into the pirate. His eyes were as sharp as a knife, looming with the intention to kill over the brunette.  
  
"H-Haha... W-What's wrong babe? You don't l-look so good." The pirate quickly gathered his clothes in hand, hiding his private parts before jumping up from the nest. He yelped in fright, running away from the fierce firebird that was chasing him. _"YYYeeeekkk!!!_ K-Keith! Calm down!  I-It worked! It worked! Ah!!!"  
  
Lance evaded as a fireball was thrown his way. Keith stood in place, violet eyes dangerously glaring at his target. "I'll kill you. I'll _kill_  you Lance!"

"Oh no! No! Nope! No! No! I'm too young to die in this lifetime!" The brunette yelped, evading another shot before running out the door and out onto the deck. Shit! A dead end!  
  
"Nowhere to run." Keith voice was dark behind him, hiding in the shadows of his treehouse before emerging with fire in his hands. "I'll _never_  recover from this. _Never_! You hear me asshole!"

"Haha... Y-You're exaggerating beautiful. If I was Shiro, I'd think that was super sexy-OHH!" He evaded another shot, falling down onto the ground as Keith hovered above him. "K-Keith! I want you to think about what you're doing!" The pirate pleaded, "We're outside! And naked! Someone could see us!"  
  
"I don't care." The firebird hissed, "I'm getting you back for that Lance." He stepped closer and closer, looming above the pirate who swallowed a large lump in his throat.  
  
"K-Keith?"  
  
"You're mine..."  
  
"AHHHHH!!!!"  
  
And that's how this became one of the moments Lance would remember for the rest of his life.

 

* * *

 

Plaxum wasn't sure how things were going to turn out for Keith once  he confessed to wanting to court a pirate. She trusted him enough to know what he was doing and find some good in the boy that she just hadn't seen yet, but fate was a funny thing. Keith wouldn't fall for someone who wasn't good and loving, Plaxum guesses, but you never how the heart would blind someone, or if the pirate would return the courting.  
  
Still, of all the things she thought she would see, she hadn't expected to see Keith bare and enraged as he knocked the equally bare pirate in the shallow lagoon she and Florona had set themselves up in.  
  
Florona, more than familiar with _these_  types of situations, instinctively whipped her head around to make sure the forestry around their lagoon was thick enough that the neighboring lagoon where the children played didn't see anything. The shield around them was still thick, however, so only she and Florona were witness as the sacred and divine firebird dived after a nude pirate and the two ended up in a squirming pile in the shallower parts of the water. The two seemed oblivious at first, with the pirate screaming and trying desperately to escape while Keith seemed enraged enough to forget that Florona and Plaxum both lived in this particular lagoon.  
  
Florona made to speak, but Plaxum elbowed her, "Shh, this is going to be hilarious."

"Yeeeekkkk! K-Keith! Keith!" Lance screeched, still on the run from the fierce firebird that was following him. He saw death in those violet eyes right there, prompting him to run as fast as he could. "I-I'm sorry! See! I'm apologising for it!"

"Apologies will get you nowhere! You asshole! I'll make you pay _dearly_  for what you did to me! How will I be able to look at Shiro again after this!? Tell me!" Keith shot a fireball towards the pirate, Lance yelping before submerging himself under the water.  
  
Wait a second... water! Ha!  
  
He surfaced again, now a confident grin on his face. "It's too bad Keith. Now that we're here I can-WHOA!" The pirate fell when Keith jumped up on him, the water under them shallow enough so that they could lay down while still being above the water.  
  
"I got you." The firebird grinned, his chuckle dark as his eyes stared holes at the pirate squirming underneath him. Lance felt a shiver run throughout his entire body, tears at the edges of his eyes.  
  
"K-Keith? Babe?"  
  
The firebird held Lance's hands above his head, preventing him from having any chances of running away. Lance shivered, completely forgetting that the both of them were naked. "Do you regret what you did? I don't think you do." Keith growled while Lance yelped.  
  
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He pleaded, scared for his life.  
  
"I don't believe you." Keith said simply, tightening his hold on Lance's wrists.  
  
"I'm sorry Keith! What else do you want me to do!?" Lance was desperate at this point, willing to do /anything/ at all.  
  
"Hmmm... And you'd do anything for me?"  
  
"Anything! I swear!"  
  
Keith hummed, thinking of the many ideas as to how he could use this golden opportunity. "I want a better blowjob. I know you can do better than what you did, so I expect an improvement the next time we do it."  
  
"Okay! Okay! I promise I'll do better!" The brunette was desperate, agreeing instantly.  
  
"Good." Keith let go, standing up in his full naked glory.  
  
Lance let out a sigh of relief, but just as he thought everything was over, he noticed two mermaids out of the corner of his eyes. Quiznak... _"Ehem..._ Keith?"  
  
"What?" The firebird asked confusingly, eyes moving along to the direction Lance was pointing to, freezing in place once he noticed the two mer. He froze, ignoring the fact that he was bare in favour of his utter shock.  
  
"H-Hi Keith." Florona waved happily, Plaxum joining in and giving an awkward smile.  
  
This was it. This was officially the most embarrassing day of Keith's life, no, of the many lifetimes he already lived though. He turned, his flare returning as he glared at the pirate again. "Lance!"  
  
"Yeeeekkk! I'm outta here!" Lance ran, trying to get into the deeper waters and escape.

"Get back here!" Keith dove after Lance, just barely catching the pirate's foot. He started dragging the pirate back, ignoring the man's distressed cries as he pulled the man back into shallower waters.  
  
"I'd like to just remind you that _you_  were the one who knocked us out of the tree." Lance screamed, trying to drag himself away, "So this one isn't even on me!"  
  
"Oh, it _will_  be." Keith growled, bringing the tanned man to level with him.  
  
"As fun as this is..." Plaxum cut in with a smirk, "You two should _really_  get dressed before anyone else catches you."  
  
The two men froze, their eyes zeroing in on the two mermaids casually leaning against a rock formation and watching everything progress. Plaxum looked like she couldn't be enjoying the show more, but Florona had the decency to look a little embarrassed for the two.  
  
"I'm glad to see things are going...well...with your courting Keith." Florona purposely looked away from the two, "We still have those items for you...once you get dressed."

"Items?" Lance asked confusingly, "Oh you must mean-Waaaa!!!" He yelled in fright as Keith grabbed his hand, crimson wings lit on fire before they took off into the skies, aiming for the treehouse. Both Plaxum and Florona heard the two arrive with a loud bang, arguing while getting dressed.

"I think we can safely say that his Divinity's courting is going extremely well." Plaxum noted smugly, folding her arms.  
  
"I have no doubt about that." Florona agreed, although she did notice one other thing, "Did you see those scales? They reminded me of our own." She reached out to stroke her scales, Plaxum nodding in agreement.  
  
"I saw. We'll need to ask his Divinity about this." The two agreed, suddenly startled with a huge splash in the water. They looked at the source, noticing Keith flying above the shore while Lance emerged from under the water, completely wet. At least this time, they both had their clothes on.  
  
"The game is on mullet!" Lance yelled, his hand in the air, "Oh it's _so_  on!"  
  
Keith smirked smugly, flying to land just beside the mermaids' rock. "I still didn't forgive you Lance. You should be careful, you never know when fire can rain down on you." He threatened, successfully managing to shut the pirate up. Lance frowned, walking towards the mer and Keith before settling himself into the water. He was already wet so he might as well stay in the water.  
  
Folding his arms, Keith turned to the two mer. He desperately tried not to blush, but failed miserably, eyes not able to meet those of the mer. "I'm sorry... for all of _that_."

"The only thing you should worry about is the lost of dignity." Plaxum teased.  
  
Keith blushed heavily, the humiliation shining on his face. The pirate, Lance, looked utterly unaffected though, and merely settled on focusing his efforts on trying to flick water at the firebird, a move that  was so far proving unsuccessful.  
  
"I am _so_  sorry you had to see any of that." Keith hid his face in his hands.  
  
"It's nothing we haven't seen before Keith." Florona tried, she really did,  but she was failing, "I mean, we've known you since you were small. Shiro didn't raise you by himself you know."  
  
"That is _completely different_  from..." Keith waved his hands vaguely in the air. "And that doesn't make it _better_."

"It's no big deal." Lance waved off the concern, "I've been seen naked many times in public before. One time Hunk and I sneaked in to steal clothing from a shop and we-"  
  
"I don't want to know." Keith stopped him before he could say anything else.

The pirate huffed, leaning his upper body against a rock, "It's your fault in the first place mullet. If you didn't knock us both from the tree, then we'd be shameless men right now."  
  
"And whose fault do you think that is then!?" Keith turned to the pirate, "It's _your_  fault I ended up embarrassing myself in front of Shiro, and now Plaxum and Florona as well. We're not done yet, just so you know."

"Hah! I'm hurt!" Lance leaned his hand against his chest dramatically, "It was _you_  who started this, that's that." Grumbling, he touched his poor abused back, "What I'm worried about is that you made me run while I'm this sore and tired. Don't tell me you still have energy after all _that_."

" _LANCE_." The firebird scolded, hiding his face in his hands a bit, " _Not in front of my friends_."  
  
"Yeah, not in front of his friends." Plaxum wrinkled her nose, "We don't need to know the details."  
  
"I'm just saying." Lance smirks, absolutely no shame at all as he purposely looks the firebird dead in the eyes, "I figured you'd be sympathetic considering how sore _you_  must be right now."  
  
Keith didn't say anything, he just stared blankly at the pirate before picking him up and tossing him towards the deeper parts of the lagoon and taking to the air, possibly fully intent on trying to drown the undrownable pirate.

Lance watched Keith fly above him with a frown, swimming up to re-surface, "Keith! You have to stop picking me up like that! I'm not a toy!" He complained, eyes on Keith as he hovered above the water.  
  
"Then stop embarrassing me already! I'm already broken as is!" The firebird complained while Lance shrugged.  
  
"Okay I'll stop! Happy now? Come closer so we can shake on it." He extended his hand out of the water, waiting for Keith to take it. The firebird narrowed his eyes suspiciously, flying lower to the sea. He hesitated, but he did take Lance's hand.  
  
The brunette grinned, pulling Keith into the water with him. Keith was taken aback, plunging into the deeper water, fully submerged. "Ha! That's what you get for-Keith?" Lance waited for Keith to surface but the firebird wasn't coming back up.  
  
Realising what he did, Lance dived, spotting Keith under the water. He quickly swam towards him, trying to drag him back to the surface. Keith struggled while Lance pulled, unable to lift the heavy firebird at all. Keith's wings became ten times heavier in water, and it was impossible for Lance to drag Keith out on his own.  
  
Luckily, amidst panic, Plaxum swam towards them, helping Lance get Keith back to the surface. And as soon as Keith's head was up again, the firebird took heavy breaths.  
  
"Keith! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to drown you! I-I'm so sorry." Lance looked over the firebird, he and Plaxum taking him to the shallower waters where he could stand.

"It's fine, I'm fine." Keith coughed, a whole mouthful of water spilling out of his mouth as he hacked, taking deep breaths in desperate attempts to refill his lungs, "It was an accident."  
  
"I'm so, so, sorry Keith." Lance pulled the coughing firebird's head against his chest, rocking the boy back and forth as he recovered from the near drowning, "I can't believe this. I'm so sorry, I forgot....I'm sorry. It will never happen again Keith. I'm sorry."  
  
"I'm fine." Keith looked up, staring into Lance's blue eyes, "You didn't know."  
  
"I should have guessed." Lance cursed himself, "I can't believe I forgot something so important. I _knew_  avians couldn't swim, I should have _thought_."  
  
"Lance, I'm fine." Keith reassured, bringing his hand to the pirate's cheek, "You and Plaxum pulled me up. We'll just have to be more careful from now on."

"But what if Plaxum wasn't here? You would have drowned Keith! I couldn't pull you up by myself." And that was frightening, something Lance didn't even want to think about. A horrifying thought hit him right then, holding onto Keith tightly. "I'm so sorry Keith, and I'm sorry for embarrassing you. It's all my fault and I'm sorry."  
  
"You should be." Plaxum hissed, helping Lance pull Keith closer towards the shore until the firebird could sit on solid ground. "Are you sure you're okay Keith?"  
  
"I'm fine." Keith tried to reassure, "I'm okay, really."

Lance pushed himself out of the water, seating himself beside the firebird. "I feel terrible about this. I'll never let you near water again."  
  
"Lance, I live on an _island_." Keith frowned while Lance tightened his hold on the other.

"I know but I just _found_  you. I don't want to lose you right away. What if you died then and turned to ashes? I'd still love you as a baby but then I'd have to wait until you grew up and-and... I don't think I could handle that Keith. Please, don't leave me so soon." Lance held onto Keith's hand desperately, more than anything to reassure himself that Keith was still here.

" _What_?" Plaxum cringed at the words.  
  
"Long story." Keith waved off before turning his face up to look at the pirate's face, "Lance, love, I'm alright. I'm not going to drown, none of the mer on this island would _let_  me drown even if I was actively trying to end my own life. I'm fine."  
  
" _Would_  you try to end your own life?" Lance didn't take the words as the comfort Keith meant to offer, only wrapping his arms even tighter around the firebird and rocking more as he basically tried to absorbed the ravenette into his body.  
  
"No, Lance, I'm happy. I have the island, and the mer, and my brother, and _you_." Keith tried desperately to reassure the pirate again, "I'm not going to die anytime soon. I promise."  
  
"You're _immortal_  Keith." Lance cried, "And you've died at least _twice_  since the last time we were together."  
  
"And I didn't kill myself in either." Keith reassured the pirate, patting the brunette's cheek, "I lived a long life in the first one, and the second one was...just unfortunate. I promise nothing will happen. I'm here."

"I'll hold you to that then." And quite literally, Lance pushed himself closer, not intending to let Keith go anytime soon. "Don't you dare die on me Keith." He stressed.

"I promise I won't Lance." And Keith leaned against Lance as well, placing a kiss on his wet forehead.

"Good." Lance let himself relax against Keith's body, "I want a lover whom I can love, not one whose diapers I would be in charge of changing."  
  
"Oh! Actually, when Keith was a little baby we used to change his diapers all the time!" Florona chirped in from where she was, "Shiro used to go on errands to bring in human diapers that would fit and-"  
  
"Okay!" Keith's flush ferociously returned, "Can we cut it out with the embarrassment? I've had enough of it for today."  
  
"But you're cute when you're embarrassed babe." Lance teased, although he did mean it.

"And you're _not_  cute when you're talking about changing my diapers." Keith huffed, moving away from Lance, "Do you even realize how creepy that sounds?"  
  
That caused Lance to pause a bit, "Well...when you put it like that it just sounds wrong."  
  
"Florona and I would be happy to raise you again Keith." Plaxum hummed, flicking her tail in the water as she leaned back against the rock next to Florona, "I'm sure it will be a lot less creepy then."  
  
"I'm not dying so no one has to re-raise me." Keith shot towards the two mermaids, his face marred in a scowl, "So can we _please_  stop talking about this? I'm going to get older and my feathers are going to get redder."  
  
"And you have to grow your hair out into a braid." Lance chipped in, his eyes trained on Keith's hair as he moved to play with the ends, "It was gorgeous when it was longer, and it was _really_  fun when we-"  
  
"No." Keith turned to Lance. "Lance, if you don't _shut up_..."  
  
"I'm sorry love." Lance held up both his hand in surrender, "You hair was just so gorgeous back then. I can't _believe_  you let it become a mullet in this lifetime."  
  
"It's not a mullet." Keith defended, "And I don't want to hear it when you used to have _white hair_."  
  
"I was _cursed_ , that's how we _met_." Lance crossed his arms defensively, "Sorry that hag put a curse on me. It's only the _entire_  foundation of our relationship. You should be _thankful_  for my white hair, which you never fixed, by the way."  
  
"That was a permanent side-effect of the curse." Keith shrugged, "Just be glad I fixed the rest of it."  
  
"What was the curse?" Florona hummed from her spot perched on top the rock, lost and confused by the conversation, but trying to keep up with it anyway.  
  
"We don't like to talk about it." Both firebird and pirate turned toward the girl, speaking together.

"O-Oh... Alright." Florona knew when to back away, and this was definitely something she knew she shouldn't probe.

"Then why don't we help you two out?" Plaxum came to her rescue, "We can give you the items you want and then you can go back into your treehouse. I think you both need some rest, especially you Keith. You almost drowned, not to mention what you did before that." She looked away, "You'll need the rest."  
  
The firebird decided to ignore the teasing at this point, taking in a deep breath before exhaling. "Alright. That sounds like a good idea."

"Perfect!" Florona clapped her hands together, reaching behind her rock where the items were safely hidden.  She took out a single bottle with some liquid within it. She gave it to Plaxum who in return swam and gave it to Lance. The pirate quirked a brow, observing the object curiously.  
  
"What's this?" He couldn't help but ask, puzzled.  
  
"That should help you during... you know." Plaxum cleared her throat, "You put it on your scales so that they're smoother and slicker during mating. It'll help in a lot of ways." She winked while Lance blushed.  
  
"So _this_  is what you were talking about." He turned to Keith, a grin on his face. "I didn't think anything could up what we did but if this really does help, I'm going to come back here for more."

"Oh Gods." Keith buried his face in his hands again, "I can't believe I'm basically getting sex tips from my _moms_."  
  
"Hey!" Plaxum flicked her tail at him, "We're not _old_  enough to be your moms. We're more like...your helpful big sisters who make sure you have a _fun_  with your mate. I'm offended you would even make the comparison."  
  
Keith shook his head, turning back towards Lance, "L-Let's just go."  
  
"Alright love." Lance grinned, tossing the bottle into the air and catching it as he settled himself into Keith's arms, sending a last smirk into the two mermaid's direction before the firebird could take off, "Thanks girls!"  
  
"No problem." They waved back as Keith took off into the air, flying back towards the treehouse and landing on the wooden structure with a small thud, moving to walk into his room with Lance still in his arms. He settled them both back into the nest, still heavy with the scent of sweat from their lovemaking, and settled down with a heavy sigh.

"Can you put this away somewhere safe? We'll use it later." Lance asked, handing over the bottle he held to Keith. The firebird took it, stretching out his hand to place the object onto the ground further away from them.

"And I thought you'd use it right away." Thankfully that wasn't the case.  
  
"I'm not such a deviant." Lance huffed, moving his arms around the firebird contently, "I'm sore and tired. Cuddles are the only thing that will help me recover from all that drama we just had. You ruined our afterglow so I'm set on fixing that now."  
  
Keith sighed, "So basically you want to cuddle."  
  
Lance hummed in agreement, "Stretch out your wing." He asked and Keith complied, covering them up with the large wing. "Hmmm... Better."

Keith grinned, rolling himself into a perfect spot, "It's still your fault."  
  
"Like shit." Lance huffed, letting his arms snake over Keith's waist, "You totally ruined all that yourself. We didn't need naked wrestling in front of your neighbors to happen, but you got all mad and pushed us in that situation yourself."  
  
"You caused me to embarrass myself in front of my _brother_." Keith shot back, "How in seven hells am I ever supposed to look him in the eye again?"  
  
"What else were you supposed to say?" Lance fired back, "He already saw you nude."  
  
" _Anything_  but what we ended up going with." Keith replied.  
  
"Oh, might as well have gone with the truth then." Lance shrugged, mockingly imitating Keith's voice, "Oh, well, I just got finished getting wrecked by a pirate we're holding prisoner right now, no worries, just fantastically mind blowing cock riding happened."  
  
"Alright! Fine! I get it!" The red faced Keith shoved the pirate, causing the brunette to laugh, "I was thinking of saying I wanted to clean my clothes or something, but now I see I got lucky that you didn't say something _worse_."  
  
Lance just continued to laugh as he pulled the firebird closer, nuzzling his lover as he settled himself back into the comfort that the nest brought.

 

* * *

 

The night was calm and quiet, comforting under the bright moonlight. In the treehouse, both Lance and Keith laid still, snuggled close to one another as they slept. That is, however, until Lance's eyes black eyes opened, observing his surroundings.

He was quick to notice Keith in front of him, a wide smirk on his face as soon as he did. He traced his fingers along Keith's face, mindful to not wake up the firebird while his fingers moved downward onto his upper body.  
  
Lance's hand began to glow in a dark colour, pitch black as he pressed his hand further into Keith's chest.  
  
"Hmm..." Keith's face showed some discomfort, but luckily he didn't wake up. Lance kept at it, holding his glowing hand on Keith as some of the magic transferred and moved into the firebird.  
  
' _I will corrupt you_.'  
  
An evil voice probed, encouraging the darkness within Lance's hand to go on.  
  
' _I will become immortal_.'  
  
And Lance continued, the darkness gaining in strength between them. However, at one point Keith's face twisted in much more pain, moving his hand to touch Lance's glowing palm.  
  
"H-Hmmm... Lance?" He muttered, the tanned hand immediately ceasing its glow. Dark eyes surveyed Keith one more time before closing, Lance's body losing consciousness. The tanned boy fell limp in place while Keith's eyes opened. Violet orbs looked at Lance's face, a strange feeling within him as he looked around.

There was something uneasy about the air, but in his tired state, he couldn't find it in himself to investigate further. He felt tired, so incredibly tired.  
  
He moved his hand to push away some bangs away from Lance's face, the pirate lying motionlessly beside him. Keith pulled the other closer, burying himself in Lance's hair as he fell back to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Sunrise brought about a new day. The mer were always the first to awaken, greeting the brand new day by swimming in the water in search of fish for breakfast. They swam, but for Plaxum, she had to swim alone. Her mate, Florona, had a damaged tail and so it would be difficult for her to swim anywhere. Although she could manage it occasionally if someone supported her as she swam.  
  
Plaxum swam, aiming to catch a few fish for both her and Florona, however, before she did, she had something to do first. She swam to Luxia's shore, bowing down before her queen before facing her. "Good morning my queen, am I interrupting?"  
  
"Not at all." Luxia smiled back, holding her trident confidently. "Did something happen Plaxum? Shouldn't you be in water in search of breakfast?"  
  
"Yes, but I have something to tell you before that." Plaxum looked up at her fellow mer, moving to lean against a rock, "We've finally discovered what the blue pirate is."  
  
"Really?" That got Luxia's attention, sitting up in her throne, "What is he?"  
  
"Florona and I believe he may a mer and human hybrid." Plaxum stated, "He has blue scales concentrated on his legs but also in other parts of the body where mer are known to have scales. He has legs instead of a tail. Legs with blue scales on them. He also has gills on the sides of his neck, just where we have them."  
  
Luxia was more than puzzled, shocked by the revelation. "A-And you're certain of this?"  
  
"Absolutely. His Divinity is a witness to this as well." Plaxum bowed.  
  
Luxia was at a loss for words, trying to gather herself and think of her next course of action. "I-I need to inform Shiro of this. Also, I would like to speak to his Divinity as well to confirm your claims."  
  
"As you wish my queen." Plaxum bowed again, submerging herself back into the water.

 

* * *

 

Keith woke feeling more content than he had in a long time. He stretched, feeling his bones creak and muscles giving off a pleasant burn, the feathers on his wings fluffing out and allowing themselves to breathe. Lance, curled against his side, muttered a bit as he was roused from the slightest bit from his sleep.  
  
He felt his lips quirk, moving to leave the nest without waking his lover. He crawled out slowly, pulling a loose cloth from the bottom of the nest to cover the pirate, successfully escaping the nest without waking the other at all. Lance grumbles at bit, fingers flexing as he reached for the firebird, unhappy with the loss of warmth. He settled after a bit though, so Keith felt comfortable leaving him for a bit.  
  
He walked over towards his shelves, trying to find something suitable for breakfast.  
  
' _Child, child_.' The ocean cooed again.  
  
Keith frowned, tilting his head, "Yes?"

The ocean didn't respond again. After a few moments of waiting Keith frowned and just gave up, moving to try and find something for breakfast from his jars of preserves. He looked through the jars, trying to find something Lance would probably like, when he was interrupted again.  
  
' _Little bird, little bird_.' The east wind spoke, ' _Where will you fly_?'  
  
"In the sky?" Keith frowned, confused by the question, "Where else?"  
  
None of the Gods spoke to him again, leaving the firebird frowning and confused. He shook his head, going back to work again, searching through the jars again as he decided that he needed to focus again. He reached  over towards a jar, plucking it from its place before moving over towards a pan, set on making something other than fruit for Lance today.

Although as Keith was preparing to cook, a soft knock could be heard, snapping him from his thoughts. "Keith? Can I come in?" Shiro's voice asked from the other side, sending Keith into a mini-panic mode. Shiro _absolutely_  cannot see Lance laying down in his nest, otherwise it will raise red flags.

Keith quickly made his way to the door, opening it just a little so that he was in view. "Good morning Shiro. Need a lift?"  
  
The thunderbird folded his arms, finding Keith's position a bit strange. "Actually I could use a lift. Queen Luxia would like to talk to us both. Not right away, but I would want to get it out of the way and see what she has to say."  
  
Keith took a step forward, closing the door behind him. "Uhhh... I was making breakfast. Could it wait a bit?"  
  
"Sure." Shiro succumbed, "Then we can go together after breakfast."

"Find a spot on the carpet." Keith waved, turning back to cook. Resigning himself to the inevitable. No matter what Shiro thought of Lance, the reaction couldn’t be any worse than what he already experienced.  
  
Shiro moved, settled himself on the carpet like Keith suggested, sitting cross legged as he let his eyes flicker over the area. He paused when he noticed the pirate in Keith's nest, sighing and shaking his head a bit at the sight. He'd admit it, he was more than a little concerned about his brother's sudden attachment to the pirate and the fact he just suddenly started courting the stranger, but he trusted Keith enough to know what he was doing.  
  
"I take it the courting is going well?" Shiro turned back to his brother.  
  
"Yes." Keith nodded, not turning around, focused on his cooking.  
  
"That's nice." Shiro tried, settling his hands on his knees, "Are you...happy with it?"  
  
"Very." Keith nodded again.  
  
"Ah." Shiro nodded awkwardly, not sure where to take the conversation from here, it was new territory for the two of them. Honestly, Keith had never really showed an interest in anyone before, not in this life or the last, and Shiro just didn't know how to approach this. What was he supposed to say? Or do? Best he could do was support Keith's choice, he guessed, and comfort his brother if things didn't work out.  
  
The thunderbird grimaced, deciding to change the subject, "That pirate captain, Allura, she's been following me around the island a lot lately."  
  
"Sounds like she might be interested." Keith teased, and even though Shiro couldn't see it, he /knew/ the little brat was smirking.  
  
"Don't you take that tone with me." Shiro puffed his chest, "Unless you want me grooming your feathers in front of your courting partner."  
  
"I've no shame left." Keith challenges, which reminds Shiro a bit _why_  the boy had no shame left and forced the man to desperately try and shake off the memory that _never_  happened from the day before.  
  
"We'll see about _that_." Shiro challenged back.  
  
"Don't take it out on me just because you don't know how to handle interested women." Keith shoots a glance over his shoulder.  
  
"I doubt she knows anything about thunderbird culture." Shiro shot back a pointed look, "You should be more focused on how a pirate knows mer courting."  
  
"He's got a good explanation." Keith tossed, smirking over his shoulder at his brother, "You're the one that's going to be backed into a corner if you can't get the woman off your back."  
  
"Be careful Keith." Shiro warned playfully, "I can beat you in a fair fight."  
  
"Not if I burn you."  
  
"That's cheating and you know it."

"Hmmm... Babe..." Lance grumbled in his sleep, patting the space beside him. He frowned when he felt no body next to him, "You left me."  
  
"To make breakfast." Keith answered simply, the smirk still on his face.  
  
"You still left me." Lance complained, slowly opening his eyes. His sight was blurry at first, but once he focused, he noticed Shiro sitting on the floor near him. The pirate shrieked, covering himself with the blanket he had. He hid his face, only his eyes peeking out. "H-Hello."  
  
"Greetings." Shiro greeted back.  
  
"Uhhh..." Lance's eyes moved onto Keith who was cooking, and then back to Shiro, "Just so you know sir, I did nothing wrong. If anything, it's most likely Keith's fault."

Shiro blinked at the pirate, crossing his arms, "And what, exactly, was Keith's fault?"  
  
"Uggghhhh." Lance blinked, lost, "I don't know sir, whatever you're here for."  
  
"Breakfast is my fault." Keith spoke up, moving to serve the food onto the few plates he had on hand, before joining Shiro on the carpet. He handed Shiro his plate and set Lance's on the edge of the nest, "Here you go."  
  
"Thanks Keith." Shiro nodded, moving to take bites of the food, his head nodding in appreciation.  
  
"Yeah, thanks." Lance was a little more wary, fully aware that he was sitting in the same room as the proven protective older brother of a guy he'd deflowered the day before, not that the other guy outright _knew_  that yet. Still, Lance was determined to tread _very_  carefully here.  
  
"Why does Luxia want to talk about?" Keith asked Shiro.  
  
"She just wants to tell us something." Shiro shrugs, "I don't think it's anything too important."  
  
Keith gave an uncaring shrug.  
  
There wasn't much conversing after that, the group of three absorbed in eating their food. Shiro was the first to finish, eager to go and get business out of the way so he could get to work and do whatever he planned today. Keith was a bit slower, being more leisurely eater than the older man in general and not wanting to leave so soon, but finished fairly quickly.  
  
"We best get going." Shiro stretched, feeling his bones pop into place, "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we'll be free again."

And as the two birds stood up, Lance was left wondering what he could do while they're away. "Keith, could you take me back to my crew? I didn't come back yesterday so they must be wondering where I went."  
  
Shiro quirked a brow, "Your crew?"  
  
"Yeah." Lance nodded, "I'm the captain."  
  
"What?" Shiro asked confusingly, "But isn't the pirate woman captain? The one with white hair and blue eyes?"  
  
"Huh?" Lance blinked, now fully aware of what was happening here, "Oh no! _I'm_  the captain! Allura is just a wannabe captain, aiming to take my spot for years now. Don't listen to her mumbo jumbo. The Blue Lion is my ship, and thus, I'm the captain."  
  
"Even though there is no ship?" Keith asked smugly.  
  
"And whose fault is that?" Lance shot back, frowning.  
  
"Alright." Shiro massaged his temple, not bothering to sort out this confusing mess he found himself in. "Then I take it the pirates have two captains."  
  
"One! The one and only is here." Lance stressed, standing up and stretching his body. It felt nice, but then again, he would like to go to the water to wash his scales. "So Keith, will you take me?"  
  
"I don't want to waste the time." Shiro chirped in, "Keith and I are going to Luxia first, and then he can take you back to your crew."  
  
"You guys realise that I'm not a servant, do you?" It wasn't like Keith was responsible for taking the both of them anywhere.

"Come on Keeeeith." Lance turned to face the firebird, taking his hands, "You wouldn't leave me to wander the forests and get _lost_ , would you?"  
  
"I don't know, I don't like the idea of becoming anyone's taxi." Keith snorted, turning away from both men in the room, "I think I'll just leave and get to Luxia myself."  
  
"If I end up flying today then we'll have a real storm." Shiro warned the two men in the room with crossed arms, "I can feel a storm coming, me adding on to it will make it a bit much to deal with."  
  
"If a storms coming then I really need to get back to my crew!" Lance cried, turning towards the ravenette, "Babe!"  
  
Keith sighed, rubbing his temples, turning towards his brother, "I'll just take him back to the shelters real quick and come back for you."  
  
Shiro raised a brow at him, "Fine.'  
  
" _Yes_." Lance cheered, walking over to the firebird and draping himself in the other's arms.

"See you later sir." Lance waved a goodbye as he and Keith went out, taking flight. The winds blew gently against them, Lance humming contently in Keith's arms. "Breakfast was fabulous babe. I loved it."  
  
"That's good to hear." Keith smiled, gliding to the other side of the island. "I wanted to make you something instead of just giving you fruit to eat."  
  
"And I appreciate it." Lance leaned in to kiss his lover, "It was otherworldly."  
  
"I know you're pushing it now." Keith shrugged, flying closer and closer to the shelters. However, as they flew, they heard sudden screams.  
  
"Ahhh! Quick! It's going to catch us!" Pidge yelled, both she and Hunk running away from a wild boar.  
  
"I-I can't run any faster! I-I'm-" Hunk was out of breath, barely keeping up with the faster Pidge.

Keith landed a few feet out of the way from where the boar was pursuing the two pirates, intent on running them down the same way they had wanted to hunt it. The boar was certainly determined, and it gave out a mighty squeal as it made to headbutt Hunk. The larger man dived out of the way, but the boar wasn't giving up, turning to go after the downed man. Luckily, Hunk managed to roll away and get back on his feet, running after Pidge.  
  
"Should...should we help them." Keith asked, staring in bewilderment as the mighty boar hunted its prey.  
  
"Of course we should you idiot!" Lance shouldered him, scrambling out of Keith's arms and after the boar, "I'm coming guys!!!!"  
  
Keith could only stare, wondering _how_  this nonsense happened.  
  
Lance dove after the boar, but it was too clever and dodged the attack, swerving around the tanned pirate before adding him to its list of targets. With another might squeal, the boar charged. Lance, realizing he'd made a _terrible mistake_  screamed before running away from it. The end result? Three pirates running in circles as a wild boar chased them down.  
  
Keith shook his head, rolling his eyes up towards the sky, "I'm in love with one of those idiots. I chose this. I willingly entered a courting with them."  
  
The boar squealed, and more yells followed. Three voices simultaneously screamed, " _Keith_!!!"  
  
Keith closed his eyes and sighed.

He took pity on the boar, deciding not to kill it but instead scare it away. With a single move of his hand, Keith lit up flames around the pirates, preventing the animal from attacking them. It seemed to do the trick because as soon as fire appeared, the boar ran away.

"Thank goodness! We're saved!" Hunk cheered in pure happiness, in spite of himself.  
  
"Whew... That was a close one." Pidge brushed the sweat she had on her forehead as the flames slowly disappeared, "And you!" She pointed at Lance, "Where were you!? We were worried sick!"  
  
"Huh? You say that to the person who rescued you!? Have some manners Pidge! At least thank me for coming to your aid!" The blue pirate fought back.  
  
"You didn't save shit! It was all Keith!" She pointed at the firebird, "If he wasn't here, then we would have been boar food!"  
  
"B-But that's what I did! I brought Keith over to help you!" Lance folded his arms, trying not to seem like an idiot who ran to save his friends before getting caught up in it as well.  
  
"Yeah... right." Pidge snorted, "That's why you were yelling for dear life."  
  
"That was my tactic. I was trying to scare it away." Deciding to change the topic, Lance motioned towards his lover, "Anyway! Keith managed to save us so all is okay!"  
  
"Whew... Thanks Keith. We really owe you one." Hunk smiled, approaching the firebird to thank him.  
  
"Quaaaa! Thanks! Thanks!" Rover flew in, landing on Keith's shoulder while squealing.

"Hello tiny bird." Keith raised a single finger to scratch the parrot's head, "You were very wise not to get caught up in that nonsense."  
  
"...of course you like the bird." Pidge's voice deadpanned, staring at the humanoid bird and the actual bird as one doted on the other.  
  
Lance walked up giving Keith a one-armed hug as he approached, nuzzling his face against a pale cheek, "Thanks for the help love."  
  
"I can't believe I almost watched you get killed by a boar." Keith deadpanned, turning to stare at the brunette with a flat look, "Lance, promise me you will _never_ , in any lifetime you are granted by the Gods, will die a foolish death like that."  
  
"I promise I won't let any pigs kill me." Lance hummed, squeezing the firebird, "No stupid deaths, that's a rule now, and I don't plan to break it."  
  
"Alright then." Keith nodded, spreading out his wings, "I have to go now, Shiro won't wait forever, and I don't want to deal with a storm."

"Alright, I'll see you later then babe." Lance leaned in to place a kiss on Keith's cheek. He didn't aim for the lips on purpose, wanting to tease his lover a little. He succeeded because Keith frowned, Rover flying off him before he took to the skies.  
  
The three pirates watched Keith fly away, and soon, he was out of their view.

"You're lucky you have a flying taxi to take you anywhere you want. Do you know just how tired I am right now?" Pidge frowned, seating herself on the ground.  
  
"What can I say? Keith is a loving mate like that." Lance said smugly, folding his arms. "But anyway, what were you both doing?"

"Trying to catch lunch. We're running out of rations." Hunk frowned, holding onto his rumbling stomach. "It would have worked out if Keith caught the boar instead. Would have saved us the trouble."  
  
Lance hummed, fully aware of the situation now. "Well, that just means that we'll have to catch it ourselves. Only this time, it'll be the three of us." Looking at the two, he didn't see their weapons, "Where are your weapons?"  
  
"We dropped them while running. Don't ask." Pidge waved him off, "You should ask Keith if they can give our weapons back. It would save us a lot of trouble."  
  
"You're right." How come he didn't think of it before? "I'll ask him about it later."  
  
"Anyhow, we'll have to hunt something." Hunk stressed, "I'm hungry."  
  
"Don't worry Hunk, I'll take care of it. Instead of a boar, why don't we have some fish?" He could catch fish in the water no problem.  
  
"And you'll do all the work? Perfect." Pidge smirked.  
  
"Ehem... _no_. You'll help me! While I hunt under the water, you'll go fishing."  
  
"That sounds better than chasing a boar." Hunk agreed.

"Then we have a plan." Lance offered his hands to the two, pulling them up, "We're going fishing."

 

* * *

 

Keith settled into a throne with a slight huff, ignoring the way the hard stone did nothing to help how sore he felt, grimacing as he landed on it. Shiro, who had been a heavy weight in Keith's arms, crawled away from his brother and sat on his own throne. Now it was just a waiting game as they settled down to meet with Luxia. The mer surrounding the court all nodded in greeting, the messengers leaving to inform the Queen of their arrival.  
  
The ravenette shifted as he waited, frowning a bit as he stretched out his wings, trying to hide how sore his body felt by keeping a stone face and stretching his muscles.  
  
Luxia arrived after a few minutes, emerging from the cove on a small wave, settling on her throne with a hand firmly gripped around her trident, "My Lord, You Divinity."  
  
"Hi Luxia." Keith waved, too tired to keep up formalities at the moment, "How are you?"  
  
"I am well." Luxia nodded, "Good to see you in good health Keith."  
  
"You would know if I'm not." Keith shrugged.

"That is true." Luxia nodded. Although she did notice how tired her two companions were, getting on with their little meeting. "There are two issues I would like to talk to you today, or perhaps I should call them updates. The first is the pirate and the second is what we've discovered inside the cave."  
  
"So you managed to decode some of the carvings?" Shiro asked curiously.  
  
"We did, but first, I would like to ask your divinity about the blue pirate." She turned to Keith, "Plaxum came to me this morning and told me that she found out what he is. According to her, the pirate is a mer and human hybrid. Is that true?"

"Yes." Keith shrugged, "What of it? Hybrids happen sometimes."  
  
"Oh." Luxia blinked at him, not sure what to say in the face of his apathy, "That is...troubling...I haven't heard of a hybrid in a long time."  
  
"They used to be more common." Keith shrugged, "Not exactly /common/, per se, but there used to be more. Now there are probably only a couple of dozen in the world at best. And that's me being generous. Mer shoals have become really xenophobic over the years."

"I-I see... I'm glad we managed to get that mystery out of the way then." Luxia nodded to herself, "I'd be interested to see what he can do. If it would be no trouble to your Divinity, could you ask him if he would be willing to swim with us? I'd be interested to see how he performs under the water."

"I don't see why he couldn't." Keith agreed, "I'll ask him."

"Thank you." With that topic out of the way, Luxia moved onto the next one. "It's quite surprising that we've found out about his identity today because it relates to what I'm about to say next. Blumfump had been trying to decipher what hidden messages remain in the cave, and he came to a startling discovery."

Luxia looked at Keith, "It seems that the mer and humans used to live in peace, and then a war broke out, as you have confirmed. However, the war was initiated by a curious chain of events. The first was the death of a mer and human hybrid child, and the next one was betrayal. I won't go into specifics, but it was quite a deadly war in mer history."

Then she turned to Shiro, "However, during our search, we've uncovered something... disturbing. It seems that deceased soldiers came back to life, both human and mer. They... turned into dark creatures, killing anyone that stood in their path."

"Dark creatures?" Shiro quirked a brow.

"Yes. We do not know what they are exactly, but they were most likely born from the sorrows and deaths of the war. The tale also speaks of a dark figure that controls all of these creatures."

"Sounds like a necromancer." Keith puffed, sneering with disgust at the word. Necromancers were everything firebirds weren't, representing death and rot whereas firebirds represented the true cycle of life and rebirth. Keith, by his very nature, hated them, "The practice has mostly died out, even among peaceful necromancers from what I can tell. There was a purge I think. I didn't get involved though, too many people dying, many weren't even necromancers, but the practice is considered to be a mostly lost one."  
  
"The purge wasn't that long ago." Shiro hummed, narrowing his eyes at some invisible memory, "I was young when it happened, but I remember bits of it. Something to do with a king."  
  
"That is...troubling." Luxia paused, "Is there any chance...?"  
  
"I don't _think_  so." Shiro shook his head, "I think they burned the people involved fairly early. I'm not sure what happened after that, but any necromancers left are probably few and far in between, it's unlikely the practice will continue, especially not near this island."

Luxia hummed, "That is good to hear." It was comforting that they didn't have to worry about such dangers. "I apologise for taking your time. I felt the need to share this information with you."

"It's no problem. Thank you for always keeping us updated." Shiro stood up, but as he did, Luxia reached out to him.

"Before you go, I would like to talk to you about the approaching danger. You said that Zarkon was sailing towards our shores but what do we do to counter his arrival? Do we hide? If so, please share your plans with me so that I can inform the rest of the mer."

"If he's an emperor, that means he has a large fleet." Shrio rubbed his chin, looking uneasy, "That means multiple kingdoms and armies under his control. And if the pirates are to be trusted, then he's bloodthirsty as well."  
  
"Then what do you suggest?" Luxia frowned.  
  
"There's no need to sacrifice good mer for a fight we can't win." Shiro shook his head, looking at the Queen, "If you want my opinion, then you should get the mer into deeper waters and hide for a while. I'll call a hurricane, the biggest one I can, and take out as many ships as possible. If worst comes to worst then Keith and I will flee for a time and return only when it's safe."  
  
"Avian's can't travel over the seas far without a ship." Keith mused, "And they can't swim at all. If you take to the deeper seas and let the krakens and sea monsters defend you, and prepare your own army just in case, then they shouldn't be able to get you."  
  
"How many ships do you believe a hurricane could destroy?" Luxia hummed.  
  
"Depends on how many ships they have." Shiro shrugged, "Unless they have a way to stop me, then it should be strong enough to take out most of the ships. We'll summon Baku if we can defeat them with our number. If not then Keith and I will flee."

"Then why don't you flee before they arrive? They will notice that you're not here and change course." Luxia suggested, seeing it as the right action to take. "This way we will trick them into thinking you're not on the island in the first place."

"We can't do that." Shiro shook his head. "Even if we flee, they might come back to the island again. Of course we'll escape if we're outnumbered, but it would be better for us to remain here and see if we can destroy the emperor before he does more damage to us, or anyone around us. Taking him down as fast as possible would be the best course of action we can take."

"And what of the pirates?" Luxia asked.

"They're on their own." Shiro answered. "We can't recover a sunken ship and there's no way we will be able to carry them across the sea. That means that they could hide on the island when the emperor attacks."

"Alright." Luxia nodded. "But if you are to remain, then let us help you. We have mighty warriors that will stand with you and defend the island. I would feel better if I knew that some of my capable men were there guarding your backs."

"Are you sure Luxia." Shiro frowned heavily, eyeing the Queen, "Keith and I can escape, but we can't protect your men if the Galra do something to them."  
  
"I am sure." Luxia nodded, "The more forces we have the better, you are a part of my shoal, I will defend you."  
  
"We'll come back." Keith promised, trying to comfort the woman, "We don't need to send anyone to die if we don't have to."  
  
"I'm not sending them to die." Luxia's voice was firm, "I'm sending them to help. We will take steps to ensure as many mer live as we can. We will have to make war plans. We have monsters on our side, we will use them."

"We'll only use them if necessary." Shiro stood firm on this, "And if Keith and I escape, then I want your warriors to retreat back into the sea. We don't need unnecessary casualties."

"Of course." Luxia agreed, "The mer will only be there to help you if you are to battle. However, as soon as they see you flying away, they'll retreat as well."

"Good." That was comforting. "I'll discuss this in more detail with you Luxia." Shiro spared a glimpse at the firebird, "Keith needs to go back and rest so we'll spare him the explanation."

"I'm technically older than all of you." Keith frowned, leaning forward with a small glare, "I _do_  remember bits of wars before."  
  
"And now you're younger than us, barely remember, and are easily overwhelmed when _too_  much death happens." Shiro didn't really reprimand Keith, but it sure felt like it when he used that voice. Keith hated it when Shiro used that voice, because Shiro _rarely_  used it and the younger brother had _not_  built up an immunity at _all_. The bastard, he knew he'd already won too.  
  
"Fine." Keith scolded, crossing his arms, "I'll just go talk to Lance or something."  
  
"You know I'm not treating you like a kid Keith." Shiro smiled at the firebird, "It's a legitimate concern."  
  
"Yeah, I know." Keith sighed, spreading his wings out and raising from the ground, "I'm not mad."

"Good." Shiro waved, "I'll see you later then. Get some more rest!" He yelled as Keith flew away, gliding in the air and rising up above the tree line. He felt the fresh air hit him, taking in a deep breath as he flew back to the shelters where the pirates were staying.

It didn't take him long to reach the huts, landing smoothly on the ground. He noticed Pidge and Hunk were on the beach, fishing by some rocks. He didn't see Lance though so he decided to question the two. "Hey." He greeted, the two pirates turning.

"Oh! Hey Keith! Didn't we just see you?" Pidge asked teasingly. "Already back?"

"It was a short meeting." The firebird huffed, seating himself down next to them. "Is Lance in the water?"

"Yep. We're all trying to catch fish to stock up on our rations." Hunk hummed, pulling on his makeshift rod. "We need the food if we're gonna be stuck here a little longer."

"Speaking of! Could you give us our weapons back?" Pidge asked, "I know you may think that we would assassinate you at night but if we had them, it would make a difference in our fight to survive."  
  
"I'll talk to Shiro and Luxia about it the next time I see them." Keith moved to sit down next to the two, settling himself and slipping his bare feet into the cool water. He leaned back, laying flat on his back, wings spread behind him, toes in the water and content to absorbed the small bit of sunlight that shown through the dark clouds above.  
  
"Tired buddy?" Hunk asked, leaning over the firebird with a sympathetic smile.  
  
"Yes, actually." Violet eyes blinked, "It's strange, I've been feeling very tired the last few days."  
  
"Yeah, Lance just saps the energy out of you sometimes." Pidge smirked, leaning back on her hands, her parrot resting on her shoulder and squeaking, "Sap! Sap!"  
  
"It's not that." Keith hummed, reaching the back of his hand to rest against his forehead, "I've just feel tired, like the sleep I've been getting isn't enough."  
  
" _Have_  you been getting enough sleep?" Hunk asked, concerned, "You do look a little tired."  
  
"I've been sleeping enough." Keith blinked, frowning, "It's just...ever since that thing attacked us..."

Keith didn't get to finish his train of thought when suddenly he felt something pull his legs under the water. He sat up, feeling the hands let go before Lance surfaced with a grin on his face. "Hey mullet. You should think twice before putting your feet in water like that."

The firebird huffed, splashing some water onto the pirate. "No fish would pull my feet like that. Not even the mer would do it."

"Hmmm... Careful, your toes are tempting in the eyes of mer children." Lance pulled a fish from under the water. Then, an unexpected quest joined them. A dolphin head emerged right beside Lance, looking at the three who were sitting on land. "Let me introduce you to my friend." Lance patted the dolphin's head, "This is Flin. He just came to the island not long ago."

"Hey Flin!" Pidge raised her hand in a greeting, Hunk doing the same.

"Hello buddy." The two held their rods while Keith blinked.

"Come on mullet." Lance reached out to hold Keith's hand. "Pet him." He pulled the firebird closer, settling his hand on the dolphin's head. Keith felt the smooth surface as soon as he touched it, surprised that he was actually petting a dolphin. Even with the mer, he never got close to one like this before.

The dolphin laughed, raising its right fin to wave back at them.

"Hello?" Keith tried, not sure if he was doing this right. He was so far out of this element, literally, that he was completely lost.  
  
The dolphin made a noise not unlike a high-pitched laugh, launching himself out of the water and bringing its...beak?...to Keith's cheek in a mock version of a kiss. The firebird was startled and fell over, making a noise at the unexpected contact, and the dolphin merely settled back into the water.  
  
"Alright, that was cute." Hunk admitted, turning back to the dolphin, "How come _I_  never get  kisses?"

"Because you're not a magical firebird?" Pidge teased, turning over to look at Keith. "Looks like Keith here attracts all the sea creatures."

The firebird brushed his cheek while Lance looked at him with a grin on his face. Then he turned to the dolphin, reaching out to place his hand on it's head. "Just to let you know Flin, that's my man. He's already taken."

The dolphin nodded, splashing some of the water while he did. Lance smiled turning to Keith again. "You're back early. I thought your meeting would last a while, but it looks like I'm too irresistible to be apart from for too long."

"Yeah, as if he didn't come to see what Hunk and I are doing. You know, to hang out." Pidge shrugged.

"Ehem! Pidge! I'm flirting here." Lance leaned his hand against a rock. "So babe?"

"Luxia just wanted to tell me about some caves they've found." Keith shrugged, standing up and brushing his feathers straight, "Just some history stuff, then she told me you're a Hybrid."  
  
"Trying to warn you?" Lance's lips twisted into a bitter frown.  
  
"Probably trying to confirm the information." Keith shrugged, "Everyone in the shoal knows I'm courting you, so I guess she wants to make absolute sure the information was reliable from someone who knows. Then I got kicked out because she and Shiro are going to have a war council."

"A war council?" Hunk asked in surprise, "Is it because of Zarkon? When is he going to reach the island?"

"We don't know." Keith shook his head, "All they're gonna talk about are strategies as to how we can counter his fleet's attack. The mer will most likely retreat back into deeper waters and Shiro and I will have to run away for a little while."

"Run away? What about us?" Pidge sat up, "Are you going to leave us here to die?"

"W-What!?" This time Hunk stood up as well, "What are we gonna do!? We're sitting ducks!"  
  
"Whoa! Calm down you two!" Lance raised his hands from up the water, "We'll think of something, we always do."  
  
"Like what? Build a makeshift boat to get us off the island?" Pidge fought back.  
  
"Aren't we already making one?" Hunk chirped in, "We're building it right there on the beach."  
  
"What!? How come nobody told me about this?" Lance pushed himself up and onto the rock. "Aren't I the captain? You have to tell me these things."  
  
"A captain that's thinking with his dick rather than his head." They couldn't tell Lance about it because he's been away most of the time. There was also the detail about them not wanting to ruin his courting attempts so it was deliberate on their part as well. "Want to see the boat and what we have so far?"

"Heck yeah!" Lance leaned his hands against his hips. "Our lives depend on that boat so I'd like to see it."

Keith remained silent, his toes curling into the sand as he listened in on the pirates’ conversation. He was split between three different kinds of unimaginable worry, and a whole different level of fear. It made _sense_  that the pirates would try to build a boat despite Keith's warning, there hadn't been a pirate on this island _yet_  that had been smart enough _not_  to try and escape.

"Are you _sure_  about this?" Keith asked, his stomach rolling sickly, he would rather Lance escape the island than stay and face Zarkon's fleet, but the ocean had crashed Lance here itself. A boat might not be enough to escape, not to mention other factors like food, water, other supplies. Were there even enough trees on this island for a proper ship? There weren't enough crew left to man one if there was, but a smaller boat might not survive the waves if they got caught in a storm, "Have you figured out how to break your curse yet?"  
  
He could _probably_  convince Shiro to pick up the pirates and carry them off if they decided to flee. Assuming worst came to worst of course. Shiro would always prioritize Keith's safety over anything, so if Keith demanded they bring the pirates it would work. Though, Keith was as practical as Shiro, so it might not work if the thunderbird turned the argument back on him.  
  
What was he going to do? He couldn't stay if Zarkon came for him and overwhelmed the island, but he didn't want to leave Lance here either.

"No luck." Pidge shrugged, "But to be honest, we haven't even been trying."  
  
"We're not sure if the curse is really the cause of all this." Hunk scratched the back of his head, turning to face Keith, "We were kind of hoping you would help us with that."  
  
"Me?" Violet eyes looked up at the three pirates.  
  
"Yeah." Hunk confirmed, "You can speak with the Gods so we were hoping you could ask them if we're cursed or not. It would help us a bunch."  
  
"Looks like you guys did a lot of thinking while I was away." Lance moved between the two, placing his hands on each of their shoulders, "Thanks for sharing the info."

"We couldn't help it. You were... busy." Pidge sighed, moving onto the important topic at hand. She turned to Keith, "Can you help us figure this out or not? Then after we figure that out, we'll know if the sea is against us leaving."

Gentle winds blew past them, cooling them down under the dark clouds. Lance looked up, feeling uneasy. He didn't know what it was, but these winds brought something chilling with them. "I don't think the sea would prevent us from escaping." Blue eyes moved onto violet ones, "Right Keith?"

"I don't know." Keith shook his head, moving to stand, "But I can figure it out."  
  
Keith stepped past the pirates, moving to stand in the waters, just deep enough to submerge his ankles. He eyes the ocean, watching the waves roll in the distance. He hummed, taking a moment to smell the salty air before he decided to try, "This child wishes to speak with you, ocean."  
  
' _Child, child_.' The ocean's voices answered, filling his ears like the many waves, ' _Child, child, child of ours_.'  
  
"On behalf of the pirates you've brought to this island..." Keith licked his lips, tilting his head to make sure he could properly understand what the ocean wanted when they answered, "What can be done for you to let them leave safely without incurring your wrath?"  
  
The ocean was quiet for some time before it answered again, ' _Take the child_.'  
  
Keith hissed. Oh, shit, Shiro was going to be _pissed_  about that.

"What did it say?" Hunk was the one to ask, the three of them watching curiously as Keith turned back to them. They noticed the uncertainty in the way Keith was standing, but also in his facial expression.

"That's it, we're never getting out of here." Pidge folded her arms, Rover jumping from her shoulder to land on a rock nearby.

"Don't say that! What if we're really stuck!" Hunk panicked, tapping his foot against the ground.

"Keith? What did it say?" Lance asked, walking over and placing a hand on his lover's shoulder. "Bad news?"

"I..." Keith paused, turning to face the tanned pirate with a small frown, "...I think they want you to take me with you."  
  
"Alright..." Lance nodded, frowning a bit, "What's the problem there?"  
  
"The _problem_." Keith felt his anxiety hit here, "Is that I'm on this island to hide from the people who want to _hunt me down_. Not only are my brother and Luxia not going to like this, but having me with you is going to paint giant targets on your back."  
  
Keith felt a wave of sickness and wariness wash over him, remembering the _last_  time Lance had involved himself in protecting Keith from someone that wanted the firebird.

Lance's eyes remained on Keith, watching him carefully but also thinking about the situation at hand. "It's no problem." Lance remained optimistic, "Times change Keith, so I don't think people will know what a firebird looks like. You said it yourself, firebirds are hard to come by. And if I managed to hide my scales, then I don't see a problem as to why you wouldn't be able to hide your identity."

"That's easier said than done. Keith has wings and back feathers. They'll _know_  he's a firebird." Hunk had second thoughts about this.

"Blah! Blah! Nobody will know, trust me. If we manage to hide your courting feathers somehow, then everyone will mistake you for an avian. And avians  _are_  common." Lance reached out to take Keith's hands in his, squeezing gently, "I really don't think it's a big deal Keith. If you decide to come with us, then I swear that nobody will recognise you as a firebird. We'll roam the seas like we did in the past, and we'll go on adventures together. We have a whole world out there to explore."

However, Lance could still see the hesitation in Keith's eyes, "But in the end, it all depends on you. What do _you_  want Keith? Stay here, or come with us."

"I...I..." Keith blinked, lost and unsure what to do. He could barely remember a time he wasn't on this island, but he also didn't want to leave Lance either. Leaving Shiro though...and all the mer...that would be hard.  
  
He was going to leave them anyway though, wasn't he? He didn't know, he honestly didn't know. Everything was happening too fast for him to process, "I...need to think...I don't know...we don't know what's going to happen. What if...what if...?"  
  
"Shh, Keith, love." Lance brought the firebird into a hug, "Don't worry, it's going to be fine. You don't have to decide right away. We'll figure this out, love, don't worry about it. Just know that's I'll keep you safe, always, just like before."  
  
"Wait. Before?" Pidge caught on to this, " _What_  are you talking about? What are _you_  not telling us? Have you to met before? Is _that_  why this courting went so well?"

"Well..." Lance tilted his head to look at her, "Something like that."

"Like what? Is that why we came to the island in the first place?" Something wasn't right. "I need a good explanation for this."

"It's nothing like that Pidgeon." Lance tried to calm her down, "We knew each other before, but not in a way you may think. I need you to cool your jets and listen to me now." He broke the hug, but continued holding onto Keith's hand. "Keith and I were lovers in our past lives."

Pidge and Hunk both _stared_  at them, blinking in confusion. "Yeah right, and I was Goddess of the forest in my previous life."

"I know it's crazy to believe but it's true!" Lance stressed, "Keith and I were an item, and still are! I've been looking for Keith without even realising it and all my misfortune with love _is_  because I was meant to find Keith in the first place! It all makes sense now."

It was as if destiny itself brought them back together, "I came to this island in search of love. I thought I would find it in the mer, but I was dead wrong. I realise that now." He squeezed Keith's hand, intertwining their fingers.

"You were trying to get fresh with one of the _mer_." Keith turned on Lance with a raised brow.  
  
"Not the point darling." Lance turned back toward the firebird, "I mean, that was the original plan, but I took one look at you and...I thought you were an asshole...but I _swear_  I never found anyone else. You were _it_  dear."  
  
"I'm not mad, it wasn't like either of us remembered at the time." Keith smiled, shaking his head, "I just can't believe you were planning on flirting with my family. That's...embarrassingly hilarious."  
  
"Hey!" Lance squeezed the firebird's hand, "It wasn't like I _knew_."  
  
"The point is." Keith turned back towards the two, "We didn't remember for a little while, but we were subconsciously drawn to each other. That's why things went so fast, we've done this all before."  
  
"You were an asshole the first time around too." Lance grumbled defensively, "I'd just like to point that out. You were a _jerk_."  
  
"You were trying to steal my feathers." Keith shrugged, "You know what usually happens when people do that, of course I was an asshole."  
  
"I was _cursed_." Lance hissed, "What else was I supposed to do?"  
  
"I'm not saying you were wrong, I'm saying I had the right to be a bit suspicious." Keith shrugged.

"Okay!" Pidge stepped in, getting a feeling that if she didn't, they would be here all day, "I'm not sure I believe you but whatever the case may be, I get it, you're together now." Geez! It was like listening to an old married couple. "Why don't we change the topic and go look at the boat? We need to get the fish back as well." She raised one batch of the fish, picking them all up with a huge palm leaf.

"Way to break the mood Pidgeon." Lance frowned, "And you Keith. Why is nobody catching onto my romanticism?"

"Because your flirting is uncalled for at this moment." Both Pidge and Hunk stood, turning to head over to the boat. "Come on losers! I still don't get what the sea meant by what it said, but I'm guessing that we're fine to leave as long as Keith is with us."

"If you're coming with us Keith, then it would be good to show you our ride as well." Hunk smiled, carrying the second batch of fish with him.

Lance and Keith both walked out of the water, flames drying them before they would join the other two pirates. "That's really convenient." Lance relished in the feeling of his dry clothes. "Thanks babe."

"You're welcome." Keith smiled, "Let's see the boat."

The group walked alongside the sea, spotting a boat near their huts. The boat was laying in the sand, wood tied down together to make a larger raft for all of the pirates to sail on. It did have a sail and it wasn't as badly done as Lance thought it would be. Then again, he didn't think this would be able to last them during storms.  
  
Keith hummed as he studied the raft, "There's no way you'll make it to the next island on this thing."  
  
"Well maybe if _someone_  hadn't sunk our actual ship we wouldn't have a problem." Pidge grumbled, hissing a bit while Rover squawked, "Ship! Ship!"  
  
"To be fair, I didn't know you weren't here to steal my feathers at the time." Keith justified, walking over to the raft and poking it with his foot, the thing fell apart almost immediately, "I am _not_  letting you go out on this. What happened to the plan to rescue the ship I sunk?"

"Yeah, what _did_  happen to it?" Hunk turned to the blue pirate, giving him a questioning stare.

"I-I'm working on it! I was busy so I didn't get around to trying. I can go and check on Blue now. Maybe Flin will help me." He looked out into the water but the dolphin was nowhere in sight. "He must still be nearby."

"All of my shit was on that ship." Pidge grumbled, throwing herself down onto the sand, "Why is fate so cruel?"

"I'll get you your things." Lance said, "What do you want?"

"My toothbrush, spare clothes and my magical items. We had fairy powder on there! Now it's all gone, _poof_! Into the sea!" And fairy powder is _very_  expensive mind you.

"I would also like the food rations we had." Hunk raised a hand, "But that will probably do us no good since it's been sitting in the ocean for days now."

"Ugh... I'll go check on Blue and see what I can get then." Lance didn't waste the time, walking towards the water while taking off his coat. "I'll be back soon!"

"Wait! Lance! Do  you have the stone!?" Keith ran after the pirate grabbing the brunette by the shoulder and turning him around. He wasn't about to let Lance go into those dangerous waters without protection.  
  
"Don't worry babe, I have it." Lance pulled on the cord around his neck, showing off the blue-shining stone, "I doubt I'll need it, but I have it just in case.'  
  
Keith let out a sigh of relief before looking the pirate straight in the eyes, "Be careful down there. The mer have Krakens, and Baku, and there are a _lot_  more things down there. See if you can get one of the mer to help you if you can, tell them Keith asked, and even then get in and out fast. Not everything down there is under our control. The large population and my presence on the island has drawn some more attention just outside the territory. There's a venomous water snake Naga out there somewhere, try not to run into him. Oh, and..."  
  
"Babe, babe, _babe_." Lance grabbed Keith's shoulders, squeezing them a bit to get the firebird to stop, " _Calm down_. I promise I won't do anything stupid. I'll just get in, get our stuff, check on how we can get Blue out, and come right back."  
  
Keith bit his lip, "Alright."

Lance leaned in, placing a chaste kiss on Keith's lips. "I'll be back in a bit, I promise." He squeezed Keith's shoulders before turning and running into the water. "Don't wait for me!" He ran, diving and disappearing underneath the waves. Keith and the two other pirates watched him go, Pidge smirking at the sight.

"Damn, looks like the courting is going _really_  well. You're already acting like a mated couple." She shrugged, looking down at their raft. "Thanks for destroying our only chance of survival by the way. Wasn't the ship enough?"

Keith turned to the two, eyeing the raft that was barely maintaining shape. "I didn't destroy anything. The raft was weak to begin with. You can't hope to sail with that on the open sea."

"Well..." The green pirate frowned, "If you're so smart, then why don't you help us fix it? We could use your divine powers to make a raft."

"Why would I?" Keith lifted a brow, walking over towards the sad little raft and poking it with his big toe again, "Unless you plan on making something at _least_  the size of a viking ship, then you're not getting anywhere. Somehow, I doubt you have experience in ship-craft if you thought this raft would work."  
  
"Well!" Pidge huffed, offended, crossing her arms angrily, "If _you're_  so smart then why don't _you_  build us a proper ship?"  
  
"I don't know guys." Hunk chuckled nervously, "What if someone mistakes us for _actual_  Northmen? Vikings aren't well liked this far south."  
  
"Careful." Keith warned, "Lance was a Viking in the last life I knew him."  
  
"Of course he was." Pidge huffed, glaring down at her raft, "You think _he_  knows how to make one of those ships?"  
  
"He _did_." Keith shrugged, "But I doubt he remembers how. It's not like _all_  of our memories came back. We've just got bits and pieces back, mostly related to each other."  
  
"Well _that's_  useless." Pidge complained, picking up some rope and trying to retie some logs together, "You think we could get him to remember? How does regaining memories of past lives work anyway?"  
  
"It's difficult." Keith shrugged, "I'm always somewhat aware, but for humans it's different, you're not connected to your past lives the way I am. You're always something different when you're reborn, and I'm always the same and have access to the same memories. Lance may have only remembered his past life because of his connection to me."  
  
"That's...actually really fascinating." Hunk admitted, "Do you think you two could prompt each other to remember more? Do you think you could prompt _us_  to remember more even if we weren't connected? Can you tell who _we_  were? Does _anything_  carry over when someone is reborn?"  
  
"I guess." Keith shrugged again, not sure how to answer, "Not everyone gets reincarnated, from what I understand. I think only humans with unfinished business, or people who are being punished, or firebirds like me. I'm not sure about the rest, or if you're a reincarnation, but I could probably find out."  
  
"Don't bother." Pidge piped up, fiddling with the rope, "I have a feeling we don't want to know."

 

* * *

 

Allura eyed the thunderbird critically as he left the meeting he had with the mer Queen. The man didn't shift into his true form, choosing to remain human and walk the distance to wherever his destination was. This was convenient for her, as she had _every_  intention on interrogating the man about how, exactly, they were supposed to do to get off of this island.  
  
And if she could plant the seeds of interest for traveling with her crew...well...all the better.  
  
She made her way over towards the man with her hands resting firmly on her hips, her head held high. The man spotted her very quickly, sighing heavily and deflating a bit as she approached. Good, she was whittling down his defences.  
  
"Shiro." She commanded, "I would like to speak to you."  
  
"Yes captain?" The man bowed his head, treating her with hesitant respect. There was something empowering about having the respect of such a powerful creature, and it only fuelled the fire of her confidence.  
  
"I'd like to talk to you about returning my weapons."

 

* * *

 

Darkness was everywhere.

It was even in the deepest corners of the room, crawling everywhere in sight. Creatures of darkness laughed and growled as they chewed on the skeletons of their long deceased prey, licking the bones while also sharpening their own teeth against them.

Among the creatures, and the many mysterious items that decorated the shelves, there stood a cloaked figure in the middle. She had her head covered with a hood, glaring down into a large pot of dark goo inside. She moved her hand, an image slowly forming within the dark substance.

She watched with curious eyes, the face of the firebird appearing instantly. She noticed the deep concern in those violet orbs, in that facial expression. She did nothing but observe, her image then turning to the sea as her slave ran towards it and dove, disappearing within the vast blue.

"Yes, run my little minion. Now that you're alone, you shall collect more items I need for my spell." She commanded, moving her hand above the image. She noticed as the boy stopped in his swimming, pausing and replying with a 'yes', before continuing to dive and gather her items.

There was a grin on her face, turning to look at the single feather that was shining brightly among the darkness. She had placed it into a glass case to protect it, needing it as the final component to her spell.

She would have the firebird's immortality.

All she needed were more items that could be found within the sea, the single feather of the firebird, the firebird himself and then some sacrificial blood. As of now, she's almost completed gathering items from within the sea. That means all that remains will be to capture the firebird and bring him inside her domain so that she could extract his life force away from him.

Then as he dies, she will consume his ashes.

The door to her room opened, revealing a single tall figure on the other side. The man entering was tall and of a large build. His eyes were glowing with a violet hue, skin a dark purple colour. He walked over toward her, noting the image in the large pot.

"I take it everything is going according to plan?" His voice was deep, authoritative in every meaning of the word.

"Yes. My slave is in process of gathering more materials for me. Soon I will have everything I need to steal the firebird's immortality."

"Excellent." The man hummed contently, watching as the image showed a hand picking up coral from the seafloor. "We will be arriving in a few days. Until then, make sure you have everything ready."

"Yes sire." The cloaked figure agreed, watching as the man turned to leave. And as soon as he closed the door, golden glowing eyes returned onto the image. She felt a creature walk behind her, leaning its head against her shoulder.

"Soon I'll become immortal." She moved her hand, changing the image to one she saw before, bringing forth the firebird's face. "And in exchange, you will lose everything. But do not fear, for that is a good thing. I'll finally free you of your eternal suffering." She kept her eyes on the image of the firebird, a grin forming on her face.

"You will lose all you love and in the end, you will die alone." She clenched her hand into a fist, her grin wide as the image before changed back to the eyesight of her minion.

In the end, she will finally fulfil her dream of an eternal life.

 

* * *

 

"You'll need to make barrels for water." Keith hummed as he watched Pidge try and rebuild her raft. He designated to help the girl, if only to keep her from telling him to shut up when he made suggestions, but she refused to stop all together like he wanted her to, but he still tried, "So it's going to need to be bigger, or else you'll all die of dehydration while out on the sea."

"Lance can catch us some fish and we'll eat their eyes for water." Pidge groaned.  
  
"Gross." Hunk made a disgusted face, "I'd rather avoid doing that Pidge."  
  
"Well, why don't _you_  make the raft." Pidge threw down the rope, turning to cross her arms at them, "You guys are _just_  like Matt."  
  
"Matt is sensible enough to come up with a better plan." Keith brushed his fingers through his feathers, grooming them.  
  
"I say we try your idea of letting Shiro give us a ride." Hunk replied, looking at Keith, "I've got it all worked out. We can put you in dresses, that will hide your courting feathers. Or we can get you some really fancy clothes and pretend that your courting feathers are just part of them. Rich ladies wear fake feathers all the time, it won't take much to convince people that they're just part of some cultural outfit."  
  
"So...basically you'll disguise me as Lance's fancy and exotic trophy wife?" Keith raised a brow at the man.  
  
"Ummm...when you put it like _that_..." Hunk scratched the back of his head.  
  
"To be fair, it's not a bad idea at all." Pidge replied lazily, "It's actually a really good idea."

"Absolutely not." Keith was no fool to miss the implications in Pidge's voice. This was her way of paying him back for those 'smart ass' comments of his. "I'm not wearing any dresses."

"Sorry man." Hunk tilted his head to the side, "Then maybe we can find you some pants instead? Then again, I don't know how we could hide your courting feathers that way."

"We already established that a dress is the best option here. Give up and wear it Keith-Fuck!" The green pirate cursed, her wooden logs coming loose under her. "Aren't you supposed to bring good fortune wherever you go? If you won't bless the raft, then at least put some of your good luck charm into it."

"I can't do that. It doesn't work that way." Keith shrugged.

"Then _make_  it work! Geez! You're really set on not helping me at all!" Despite the cocky firebird being a treasure on this island, he can't even bless a single raft! Pidge was having none of it!

"As I said, I can-"

"Lance's back!" Hunk smiled, waving into the distance while watching his best friend walk back to the shore. What he found strange was that Lance didn't return the wave, carrying a few things in his arms. And as he reached dry sand, he let himself fall onto the ground tiredly, letting the things he held fall with him as well.

"Lance!" Keith and Hunk both cried, throwing themselves up and going after the downed boy. Pidge jumped up as well, rushing over to her friend with the other two. Keith and Hunk each grabbed a shoulder, flipping the boy over. Keith kneeled down, catching the pirate's face between his hands and checking him over.  
  
There was a _horrible_  smell coming from him.  
  
A smell like lingering dark magic.

"Something's wrong." Keith hissed, looking up at the other two, "Something down there got him, something with magic. He's got the remains of dark magic in him."  
  
"Why didn't your stupid stone protect him?" Pidge snapped, moving to grab the back of the brunette's head.  
  
"It should have. There's nothing it couldn't have protected him from." Keith hissed, moving to inspect it, there were still two blessings on the stone, meaning that something didn't attack him, "Whatever happened to him had to predate the stone, or maybe something else happened? There's black magic involved."

"But how is there dark magic under the sea?" Hunk was confused, "This never happened befo-" The pirate paused when he noticed his captain groan, slowly opening his eyes.

"What happened?" Lance asked, looking over at the three before settling on Keith, "Hey babe, you can cradle me in your arms anytime you want."

Pidge grumbled under her breath, "At least we know he's okay."

"Lance, what happened? How are you feeling?" Keith asked, sensing the traces of dark magic still there but slowly disappearing.

"I was swimming and then... I don't remember, but I managed to make it to Blue and then swam back here. I brought you some of your things Pidgeon." And there were the items discarded on the sand.

"That doesn't sound good." Hunk fidgeted in place, "Are you sure you're okay buddy?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lance waved them off, sitting up, "I'm just really tired."

"We should get him to the shelters." Keith turned to Hunk.  
  
Hunk nodded his head in agreement, and both firebird and the yellow pirate shifted Lance up, throwing both his arms around their shoulders as they helped the brunette to his feet. Lance struggled to stand for a moment, but he was able to catch himself by leaning on his two helpers, "Thanks guys."  
  
Pidge reached down to gather her stuff, standing up once her arms were full, "Let's go."  
  
The four of them made their way back to the shelters, moving into the one he and Hunk shared before laying him down on the makeshift bed. Keith brushed back the wet hair from the tanned pirate's forehead, settling next to the bed, "I'm going to do my best to heal you Lance. But I need time to figure out what's wrong."  
  
"Alright babe." Lance blinked his eyes closed, letting his head fall back against the bed, "I trust you."

"Okay." Keith nodded, moving his hand to touch Lance's own. He gave it a gentle squeeze before fire suddenly engulfed them both. Pidge and Hunk were both taken aback, more than worried that their captain might burn to a crisp. They were close to interfering but once they noticed that the flames weren't doing any damage, they remained in place.  
  
Keith closed his eyes, focusing on finding any evil that may be hiding within.

That's when he was taken back to the past. More than 10,000 years into the past...

_Altea was a prosperous city full of mages and magical beings. Harbouring a prestigious academy where many aspiring mages dreamt to study. It was a paradise for everything magical, and one could find everything they are looking for within this magical city. People flying on magical brooms, levitating items flying about, mages practicing all kinds of magic, a menagerie of magical creatures roamed freely around the beautiful streets of Altea. Everything you could possibly think of, it was here._

_But for one particular mage, life was difficult._

_Despite Altea being the centre of magic, he couldn't find what he was looking for. You may ask, what was he looking for? Simple, the one item that was so incredibly rare that it was almost non-existent. The one thing that is told in legends but never seen in real life._

_He needed a firebird's feather._

_Why you may ask?_

_Because he was cursed._

_Lancelot was his name, harbouring white hair and walking the streets of Altea in desperate search for the rare feather. He had hopes of finding it, and swore that he would, but even so, he didn't have any luck so far._

_"Excuse me." He approached a magical stand, "Do you know where I can find a firebird's feather?"_

_"Firebird?" The shop owner tilted his head, laughing out loud in amusement, "Good luck with that kiddo! I doubt you'll find a feather like that anywhere in Altea."_

_"What? But I have to find it!" The desperate mage groaned, "Please, you have to help me old man."_

_"Old man?" The shop owner narrowed his eyes at him, "I'm 30 years old you cunt!" He used his levitation magic, sharp items taking to the air around him. "Now scram before I take care of you myself!"_

_Lancelot yelped, immediately running away as far as he could. He panted as he ran, feeling himself run out of energy. He'd been searching the entire day but there were still no traces of any feathers as of yet. At least not the feathers he was searching for... That's it. He's done for. He'll die young because he- Wait a minute!_

_Out of the corner of his eye, Lancelot spotted a man with red wings, walking among the busy crowds of merchants. Usually he would mistake the man as an ordinary avian, because avians were very common, but not this one. Why? He had feathers on his back, something that was trademark to firebirds._

_Lancelot would know, he'd researched all there was about these legendary creatures._

_And so he followed, trying to keep up with the mysterious figure. Luckily because of the crowd, it would be harder for the man to notice him. Although as they walked, Lancelot quirked a brow when the figure suddenly turned into an empty alleyway._

_He followed, running so that he doesn't lose sight of his only hope. However, stepping foot into the alleyway, he was horrified to find out that the man disappeared. "What!? No way! Did he fly away?"_

_"Why are you following me?" He turned, eyes widening as soon as he spotted the same man, standing behind him with his arms crossed. He had raven black hair that was tied back into a short ponytail, violet eyes and pale skin. His wings were crimson red, shining brightly almost like the sun, even in this dark alleyway they found themselves in._

_This was it. This person right here had to be a firebird. He was sure of it. "Are you a firebird?" The mage asked, while the strange avian quirked a brow. He didn't seem pleased by the question which made Lance suspect him even more._

_"There are no firebirds in Altea. I'm an ordinary avian." The man replied, remaining calm._

_"You think you can fool me?" Lancelot took a step forward, arms on his hips, "I know a firebird when I see one. Your wings are bright red, just like fire, and you have back courting feathers. Avians don't have those."_

_"Avians often wear fake feathers as decoration." The raven haired man replied, "And why should I even tell you? Who are you?"_

_"Me? I'm the great Lancelot of Altea Academy! The best water mage there is!" The mage fought back, taking another step closer, "With introductions done, you wouldn't mind me taking a feather ri-"_

_"Back off." The man raised up a blade, holding it against the tanned neck._

_"I-If it's just decoration, then why are you so protective of it? How suspicious is that?"_

_"That's none of your business. You don't see me stealing your things."_

_"Hah! But you don't understand! I'm desperate here!" The water mage remained still. "I'm cursed and my magic is being sucked away as we speak. Magic- Quintessence is everywhere. If I lose all of my quintessence, I'll die."_

_"Hmmm... Too bad, sorry. I can't help you with that." The man pulled his blade away, placing it back into his pouch. He spread out his wings, taking to the skies. "I hope you find what you're looking for."_

_"Oh no! Get back here you asshole!" Lancelot yelled, bringing his hands together to form water between them. As fast as he could, he shot the water he had in his arms up, managing to hit the avian and send him falling back down onto some dusty boxes with a loud bang._

_The water mage grinned, watching as the avian slowly stood up. "Y-You... You'll pay for this."_

_"Whoa! Cool your jets! I just need a single feather!" Lancelot raised his hands up in the air, "Help me out here! I'm dying!"_

Keith was pulled out of the memory by Lance's groaning, the brunette turning to grab Keith's wrist, "Darling."  
  
"Shush, get some sleep." Keith commanded, working to burn away the bits of dark magic he could find, his ears ringing with the screams of the magic. He closes his eye, trying to reach as far as he could.  
  
"I used to be a mage." Lance realized, lifting his hands to stare at them, "Wow. I don't know a lick of magic."  
  
"I'm sure you could learn." Keith reassured, "Now shut up and get some sleep, I'm trying to concentrate."

"Okay." The both of then closed their eyes, diving right back into another memory.

_Both Lance's past self and Keith were sitting on a hill, looking down at the city of Altea._

_"And you'll really help me?" Lancelot asked, eyes on the firebird who was looking far into the distance. Keith sighed, taking a single feather from one of his wings. He could feel that the feather was becoming weak so he didn't mind plucking it away. He held the feather in hand before giving it to Lance's past self._

_"Here. Take it."_

_"Are you sure?" A tanned hand carefully reached out to take it._

_"I'm sure. I don't want you to die Lance." There was a smile on Keith's face, "I-I want you to be around for a bit longer."_

_Lancelot blushed, turning his head away so that he could hide it. "T-Thanks."_

_Keith was hesitant, but he moved sneakily, placing his hand over Lance's own. The mage was taken by surprise, quickly turning to look at the firebird. "Let's get rid of your curse." Keith held Lance's hand as they stood up, facing one another with the feather between them._

_"And you're sure that you know what to do?" The water mage asked, holding the feather between them._

_Keith smirked, "Shut up and trust me." He squeezed the tanned hand while his feather suddenly began to float between them. Both of them closed their eyes, flames and water appearing and floating around them. Lancelot's body was enveloped by water while Keith was engulfed in flames._

_The water and flames passed through them and onto their intertwined hands, flowing in the air and towards the feather. The single feather began to shine brightly, and Keith could feel the magic their past selves performed._

However, that’s when the darkness took over.

The vision suddenly disappeared and Keith found himself sucked into an abyss of black. He fell with a loud thud, groaning while looking around. Everything was pitch black, nothing within nothingness.

Then he heard the loud growls, glowing red eyes emerging from the shadows. He could feel his feet sinking into dark mud beneath him, surrounded by creatures of darkness and their intimidating growls.

_'The firebird has come.'_

A dark voice resonated throughout the abyss, a figure of black appearing to stand in front of Keith.

_'How generous of you to pay me a visit.'_

The figure smirked while the creatures snorted and laughed.

Keith hissed, throwing his wings out and lighting his flames, forcing the creatures to back away. They did, not wanting to be burned by the fire specifically made to harm them, but they lingered, snorting and chuckling around the figure.  
  
"Who are you?" Keith demanded, his eyes narrowing at the figure.  
  
_'Do you not recognize me?_ ' The figure pulled down their hood, revealing a head of long, white, hair and a narrow face.  
  
"Y-You?" Keith's brow rose, his face twisting a bit as he slowly came to recognize the woman, "You...I know you. Ho-Honerva? The...you were...weren't you a Queen?"  
  
"Haggar." The woman replied, stepping forward, reaching for the firebird, "How good it is to see you firebird, it's been some time."  
  
"You should be dead." Keith hissed, backing away, his flames undying, "It's been...thousands of years..."  
  
"It has."  
  
"You're a hag." Keith growled, burning a creature alive that got too close to him, "How am I not surprised? What about your stupid husband? I thought you two would do _anything_  for each other? Or was he just another one of your tools?"

"Be careful." Haggar warned, moving her hand to sink Keith deeper into the black mud. Flames burned around him, trying to rid himself of the goo that was trying to consume him whole. "You're in my realm firebird, and as such, I'm in control here."

Creatures growled loudly, keeping close to Haggar but also surrounding the firebird.

There was no escape.

"My husband is alive and well, unlike you." She took a few steps forward, ignoring Keith's flames completely. "You'll die, and then I'll become immortal. That is your destiny."

"I won't die." Keith hissed, flames surrounding him on all sides as he tried to burn the mud under him. However, as soon as he managed to scorch some, more would come to take its place. "I promised I wouldn't, and I'll keep that promise."

"Is that so?" Haggar turned to look at the ground beside Keith. "Your promise is empty if the one whom you've made the promise to is no longer alive." She moved her hand, some of the mud parting to reveal Lance's limp form within. Mud was surrounding him on all sides, holding down his unconscious body.

"Lance!" Keith hissed, more of his flames igniting around him. Although despite the fire, he could feel two creatures jump on him, managing to bite before being burned away to a crisp.

"You'll die alone firebird." Haggar said, turning back to face him, "I will take all you love, and then once you've lost everything, I shall consume your ashes."

"Your threats are as empty as your soul." Keith moved a hand to his wounded shoulder, burning his flames more intensely as he tried to guard himself from Haggar's creatures, "You're the one who will lose everything, _Haggar_ , you've no idea what you're doing or what powers you're playing with."  
  
"Petty words." Haggar sneered, "From a petty creature that has _nothing_. You've cursed yourself firebird, as you always have. You've made yourself weak and pitiful, wasting your power, and for what? A mere boy?"  
  
"You're one to talk." Keith hissed hatefully, "Look what you've done to yourself. You're messing with powers you don't understand, corrupting yourself from within, drawing the attention of old Gods better off dead, and for what? Immortality? Trust me Haggar, it's empty."  
  
"Not so much." Haggar steps forward, the creatures around her growling, and laughing, and trailing along her robes as they feasted upon the gooey darkness of each other's flesh, their hungry eyes always on the firebird, "I have much to live for."  
  
"And you'll lose it." Keith growled, "How _is_  Lotor? Or did these creatures burn the very memory of him away by now?"

"Silence!" She yelled, raising her hands to sink Keith deeper into the black mud. "You will not speak to me this way! I will make you realise who is in control here!" Dark aura began to surround her, pushing Keith further into the ground while she walked over to Lance's body.

"You are a fool to challenge me. Accept your fate and give yourself over willingly." She moved, a hand on the pirate's chest as it glowed and sent shockwaves of pain throughout his entire body. Lance screamed in pain, a pitch black mark appearing right over his heart.

"You will listen to me firebird." She turned to Keith again, "You have no other choice."

The black swallowed Keith almost instantly, managing to get his entire body and now sinking his head as well. "Lance! Y-You! I'll burn you! I'll-" He didn't get to finish his sentence, buried under the black that began to suffocate him.

His eyes opened, breathing heavily while his flames burned out. He found himself back in the hut, panting while sitting down on the ground. His violet eyes moved onto Lance's still form, eyes widening when his brown hair suddenly began turning white.

"Shit!" Keith scrambled over towards the pirate, ignoring the concerned yells of the others as he tried to reach his lover. Lance's hair was bleaching harshly, losing its pigmentation as Haggar's curse spread. Keith reached the tanned boy, resting his hands against the other's chest as he let white fire burn through his hand, fighting back the think strands of black magic spreading through Lance's body.  
  
Now that he knew what was wrong, and he was back in the domain of the living, he could fight back against Haggar’s magic. She'd grown significantly stronger since he'd become a hag, much stronger than when she was Honerva, but Keith still had his own strength. He burned away as much of the dark magic as he could, rapidly battling against the hag's magic as she tried to spread her influence throughout Lance's body.  
  
He wasn't as strong as he used to be, so he couldn't fight her back completely, not with how strong she was now and as weak as he was, but he could turn it back significantly until he was strong enough to break her influence fully. He'd have to stay by Lance's side, but he could do it.  
  
Violent eyes flickered towards Lance's hair, the pigmentation completely gone now, not even a speck of color left in the now white hair. Lance wasn't going to be happy about it at all, but he'd have to live with it. They could dye it if nothing else, Keith assured himself, but it was clear that he'd carry the sign for the rest of his life.  
  
He burned back the thick mess of magic until there was barely a strand. This was the life strand, the strongest and most powerful strand, the source of the magic spreading throughout the body. He burned, and burned and burned, until he was too weak to burn it anymore and collapsed against the pirate's chest, gasping and pained, the single strand of black magic weakened but still living inside of Lance's body.

"I'm sorry." Keith gasped, the world fading around him as he passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: I survived a hurricane guys! And after days without power I'm back! Also Haggar sucks.
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: This story deserves so much more attention than it's getting. We're slow to update but hopefully it'll get more hits soon.
> 
> Chapter Betaed by the wonderful SilviaMoon.
> 
> Tumblr:  
> MsBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	6. Every Lifetime

While their situation wasn't by any means a good one, Coran decided to take advantage of what they had. Apart from looking for ways to escape, he immersed himself in studying the island itself. He took note of the creatures, plants and everything there was to find. The island was full of life, and while there wasn't much to do for his younger crew-mates, there was plenty he could research.

By mere chance, he'd discovered a rare breed of plants that were said to have magical healing abilities. As far as he knew, they could heal the body from any physical injuries one might sustain. This will definitely be beneficial for both him and the rest of his crew.  
  
Coran busied himself picking out the plants, his assistant helping him with the task.  
  
"And they can really heal anything?" Matt plucked a plant, observing it before he placed it into his makeshift basket.  
  
"Anything my boy! Even the deepest of wounds!" Coran chirped proudly, taking as many of the plants as he could.  
  
"Hmmm... These are incredibly rare. According to recorded data, these species of plants are suppose to be extinct. Do you think this could be the result of Keith's power?" If it was, then it would show just how much of an effect the firebird had on his surroundings. It was amazing to think that a mere creature would have the power to bring these extinct plants back to life.

"I believe it is. That chap is a divine being, much more powerful than any of us. He's beloved by gods, and in return, Keith returns this love to everything around him. It is quite fascinating if you ask me." Coran looked up at the flowers, taking note of how many there were. He didn't want to take all of them but only the right amount to help them if they needed it. "Done. How are you doing Matt?"

"Finished." The pirate brushed his sweaty forehead, suffocating under the humid air around them. "We should head back and pack these. Pidge and Hunk should be done stocking up on meat."  
  
"Sounds like a plan." Coran agreed, the both of them heading back to their huts. However, along the way, they heard the sound of someone running, panting as they made their way through the forest vegetation.  
  
"Ouch!" The two perked when they heard Pidge's voice.  
  
"Sis? Sis! Where are you!?" Matt called out.  
  
"Matt? Matt! Get your ass over here!" Pidge called as the two pirates made their way to her. Passing through the bushes, they saw Pidge sitting on the ground, hurt by a branch she stepped on.  
  
"You okay? Is it bleeding?" Matt kneeled down, but Pidge was having none of it. She quickly stood up, grabbing Matt's shirt.  
  
"Matt! This is an emergency! We need your help! Coran too! Come on!" She pulled the two along, ignoring the pain in her leg. It was just a scratch, nothing compared to what she'd witnessed moments ago.  
  
"What-"  
  
"Lance and Keith! They've been affected by dark magic!"  
  
Those words made both men look at one another, quickening their pace and following Pidge back to the huts. They reached it in record time, climbing inside the hut where both their captain and the firebird lay side by side.  
  
"Quiznak! What happened!?" Coran kneeled down beside them, eyes zeroing in on Lance's white hair. If Pidge hadn’t been so frantic to get them, he could have easily overlooked the situation and mistaken the two for sleeping side by side. There weren't any signs of dark magic around the hut, other than the evidence of Lance's white hair. Apart from that, there were no other traces of it.  
  
"We don't know." Hunk was sitting close to the two, watching over them while Pidge went to get help, "Keith said there was dark magic involved and that he could feel it. Then he set both himself and Lance on fire and they both collapsed. I think they did anyway? Keith woke up briefly, reaching out to Lance before passing out again. Lance's hair turned completely white and we found this dark mark on his chest."  
  
Hunk moved carefully, shifting the unbuttoned shirt to the side to reveal a black mark on Lance’s chest. Coran and Matt both looked away, disturbed by the sight.  
  
"That is a slave's mark," Coran noted, "It is usually cast upon innocent souls that are unfortunate enough to be cursed by a hag. The dark magic is powerful and is able to corrupt the body the longer it remains within the host." In other words, it was dangerous.  
  
"How do we get rid of it? And is Keith okay? He's breathing but he passed out so suddenly." Pidge asked from outside, because all of them couldn't fit inside the small structure.  
  
"I-I don't know... I remember reading about the mark but I couldn't find a way to break the spell. As for Keith." Coran leaned down, feeling the pulse against Keith's neck. "I believe he'll be alright. The poor chap most likely fainted because he overexerted himself in combating the curse."  
  
"So they're both okay? I mean..." Hunk asked worriedly.  
  
"As good as they can be at the moment. We'll have to find a way to get rid of the curse. I believe Keith may know something more about it than I do. Once he wakes up, we can work on ways to get rid of it." Coran sat down, more than worried.

 

* * *

  
  
Keith woke feeling boneless and heavy, like his whole body had been beaten down and left in the sand, sore and bruised. He shifted his arm, reaching out painfully, trying to figure out where he was. His fingers brushed against a cool cup, the tips dipping in water. He grabbed the cup, bringing it to his lips as he desperately drank the fresh water inside. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was until the first drops of water went down his throat.  
  
"Keith!" He heard a bowl drop. He opened his eyes to see Pidge's brother, Matt, rush to his side, "Are you okay buddy?"  
  
"I'm alright." Keith leaned against the bed, only to feel another body underneath his hand. He glanced down, finding Lance's unconscious form breathing heavily, hair stark white and chest marred with the hag’s mark.  
  
"Lance." Keith brushed his hand down the pirate's chest before looking back up at Matt, "Is he okay? How has he been since I passed out?"  
  
"He hasn't gotten _worse_." Matt winced, "But you were both out of it for a while. Coran and I have been doing our best, and your brother brought some people to look at you, but we _really_  need to know what's going on as soon as you feel up to it."  
  
"I'll explain." Keith promised, trying to get up. Matt stopped him though, laying him down, "Hold up there buddy, you've got to rest up some more before you go running around. Magical exhaustion is no joke."

"But I need to explain-"

"I'll take care of it." Matt placed his hand on Keith's shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything while you're in bed. If you need anything, just call and I'll come running to you."

"Thank you." Keith smiled softly.

"No problem. Now lay here, rest, and let me get everyone. Then after you explain the situation to us, we'll try to get your brother. He went to carry the mer doctor to the sea so he'll be back as soon as he drops them off." Matt stood up, heading out. "I'll be back soon."

Keith watched him go, his smile falling off his face. He turned to look at Lance again, running his hand through the white hair. White hair was a bad omen, especially where spells were involved. However, Keith couldn't help but think back to the memory he had.

When they met for the first time, Lance had white hair and tanned skin, just like he has now. His current appearance reminded him of his past self, much more than Keith thought it would.

Running his hand through the white hair, he noticed slight movement. Lance hummed in his sleep, hand moving to pat Keith's body, confirming that someone was next to him. His blue eyes opened, looking up to meet Keith's eyes. "Hello beautiful." He smiled, closing his eyes again and letting himself relax. If it was Keith, then it was safe for him to lay down like this contently.

"Hey."  Keith leaned up a bit, brushing his hand through the pirate's hair, "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Hmmm, tired." Lance answered sleepily, leaning into the touch, "What happened babe? Did you fix me?"  
  
"Not all the way, I passed out before I could kill the last strand." Keith brushed the hair off of Lance's forehead, the now-white locks pale even against _his_  fingers, he frowned a bit at the sight. Even the roots were white now, and it stood out starkly from the tanned skin. Allura also had white hair, but knowing how someone got the hair, seeing it freshly formed, that was somehow worse, "I'll kill the last strand as soon as I recover."  
  
"Alright love." Lance reached out a weak hand, lightly grabbing Keith's wrist and bringing it to his lips for a kiss against the firebird's pulse, "I trust you."  
  
"I've got bad news though." Keith frowned, knowing Lance was going to _hate_  this, "It was a hag that cursed you, I...well...it was Honerva. I don't know if you remember her, but...she got you Lance, I...your hair is white again."

"Yeah, right." The pirate snorted, "And your wings are green."  
  
"No Lance." How could Keith get this across more efficiently? "Your hair is really white."  
  
"No it's not." Lance opened his eyes, touching his own hair. "It's brown. I've had white hair before but now-" He froze as soon as he pulled some of his bangs down to see. Blue eyes stared at the little white strands, before shooting up into a sitting position.  
  
He pulled some more, gathering more of his hair to examine. His breath hitched, eyes widening once he understood that his hair was _really_  white.  
  
"WWWWWWWHHHHAAATTTTTTTTTT!!!!" He yelled loudly, pulling on his hair. "KEITH! MY HAIR IS WHITE!" He turned to the firebird, grabbing his arms, "Keith! It's white! _White!"_  
  
"Lance! Calm down!" Keith tried to calm the other, but the pirate groaned, gaze lowering in worry.  
  
"What do I do? I had white hair in my previous life! I don't need it in this one!" Fate had it in for him! Yes! That was the only explanation he could come up with!  
  
"It doesn't look that bad." Knowing that he couldn't prevent the panic, Keith tried to soothe the damage. "I'd say it looks even better than your-"  
  
"Oh _no_! No, it doesn't!" Lance shot at him, "Keith, I know you're trying but I have _white hair!_ Do you know what that _means_?"  
  
"That you're cursed again?"  
  
"Yes! That!" Lance nodded rapidly, "But it _also_  means that I just lost my attraction points! People will associate white hair with curses right away!"  
  
"So you're trying to say that Allura is less attractive because she has white hair?" Keith made a point, realization hitting Lance right then and there.  
  
"No." He muttered, lowering his head.

"Exactly. Having white hair is nothing to be ashamed of. I actually think it looks really good on you." Keith moved his hand to brush some of Lance's bangs away.

"But Keith." Blue eyes met violet ones in uncertainty, "I already had white hair, and now I have it again. Does fate hate me? You'd know, right?"

"Fate doesn't hate you Lance." Keith tried, squeezing the the pirate's hand, "Honerva, I don't know if you remember her very well, but she's the hag that cursed you last time. She's the one that did this Lance."  
  
Lance sighed, twirling a strand of his hair between his two fingers, "I know...it's just...I was _really_  proud of my hair. I'm really proud of my _looks_. I just...y'know."  
  
"You're not any less beautiful Lance." Keith sighed, squeezing the pirate's hand, "I don't think so. And...and if you hate it...we can dye it or something. I know dye is expensive, but it will hide it if you really need to. And...I think it looks good on you."  
  
"Babe." Lance cuts Keith off with a smile, "I love you."  
  
Keith stops, startled, "What?"  
  
"I love you so much." Lance leans forward, kissing the firebird, peppering quick pecks all over his cheeks before pulling away, "I've missed you so much."

Keith quirked a brow, "Where did that come from?"

"What? I can't shower my lover with love?" The pirate leaned in to place one more kiss on Keith's cheek before laying down again. He pulled on Keith's wing, covering himself with it. "If you like my hair, then that's all that matters." He settled on that. He was going to miss his brown hair but he couldn't do anything about it.

"Are you sure?" Keith laid down as well, settling himself beside Lance.

"I'm sure. I'm not a fan but if you think it looks good on me then that does it." He sighed, letting himself relax again. "I can't believe I got cursed by the same hag in two of my lifetimes. Am I unlucky or what?"  
  
"That is unfortunate." Keith frowned, "But I'll burn the curse so there's nothing to worry about."  
  
"I trust you Keith." Lance moved closer to the other, "How are you feeling? You said you passed out."

"Honerva has gotten much, much, stronger since the last time we saw her." Keith winced, "She should be reaching the end of a hag’s natural lifespan, but she's strong, really strong, and I'm pretty sure she's been doing something to increase it."  
  
"Like what?" Lance quirked a brow, "I don't remember her, so you'd have a better idea than I do."  
  
"I'm glad." Keith hissed, turning to glare at the wall, "She's trash, her and her husband, and I hope you _never_  remember them."  
  
"Ouch." Lance winched, "That bad huh?"  
  
"She cursed you." Keith shrugged, "That should tell you enough."  
  
"Point." Lance chuckled, "And that hag was _married_? How did _that_  happen?"  
  
"I don't remember the guy, but I remember what he did, and I remember he was _almost_  as bad as her." Keith grumbled, crossing his arms, "And their son, I remember you _hated_  Lotor."  
  
"Sounds really bad." Lance laughed.  
  
"It was." Keith grumbled again, "Point is, she's back, calling herself Haggar, and she's just as big a bitch as ever. It took a lot out of me when I met her while trying to break your curse."

"Wait, you _met_  her?" Lance was surprised to hear that. "Are you sure you're okay babe?" The pirate leaned forward, embracing his lover tightly.  
  
"I'm fine, just tired." Keith breathed out.  
  
"Damn, you really _hate_  their family. Too bad for them then, they evoked the anger of a powerful firebird. Imagine the misfortune they must have." It came to show what greed can lead to.  
  
"I don't care." Keith grumbled, "All I care about is breaking this curse and then escaping the island. We need to-"  
  
"Oh! There you are!" Coran's voice made them both turn, eyes landing on the older pirate who entered the hut happily. "I heard from Matt that you woke up. It's good to see that you're awake as well Lance."  
  
"Of course." The captain raised up his finger gun, "Nobody can take me out that easily."  
  
"That's good to hear." The older pirate smiled, "Keith, your brother is on his way. As soon as he gets here, you can tell us all what happened and how we can help you both."

"Oh, Shiro is going to _love_  this." Keith groaned, settling himself back into the bed, "How is he so far."  
  
"Well..." Coran twirled his moustache between two fingers, "You _may_  want to get ready to hunker down for a few days. It's raining quite heavily out there."  
  
"Oh, so not too bad then. That's good." Keith let his head hit the makeshift pillow, letting out a relieved sigh, "Last time he made such a bad storm it lasted for a week straight without him having to rebuild it."  
  
"What happens next depends on what you tell me." Shiro's voice cut in, startling the firebird. Keith threw himself up, eyes going wide as he turned to face Shiro's special stare head on, the Dad look in full force as he stood in the doorway with crossed arms. Allura stood next to him, seeming almost as tall, arms crossed as well, with an equally severe look on her face.

"Allura!" Lance sat up as well, eyes on his fellow pirate, "Came to check on me?"

"Of course. I heard about what happened from Pidge and now..." Her eyes landed on Lance's hair right away, "I can see that she was right. There are still traces of dark magic lingering around the hut."

Shiro turned to look at the pirate, "You can feel it?"

"Yes." Allura nodded, "I'm sensitive to magic and am able to sense it." She didn't go into detail though, turning to both the firebird and her fellow pirate. "And I can both sense and see from Lance's hair that dark magic was _definitely_  present."  
  
"A good guess." Keith chirped in, "It was black magic of an incredibly old hag. One that shouldn't be as strong as she is now."  
  
"What do you mean?" Shiro focused his attention back onto his brother.  
  
"Just as I said, this is the work of an old hag, one I knew." Keith ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "She has managed to stay alive for centuries."

"If she's centuries old than she should be nearing the end of her lifespan." Shiro hummed, "She shouldn't be as strong as she is, even if she has a huge power pool and a lot of natural talent."  
  
"Exactly." Keith nodded, "Which means Haggar's been experimenting with ways to expand her lifespan somehow."  
  
Shiro's face went dark, "Haggar?"  
  
"Yeah? That’s her name." Keith tilted his head, "Why, do you know her?"  
  
Shiro snorted, moving his hand to brush over the scar across his nose, "She's half the reason we're on this damn island. I didn't know she was someone you met before though. I thought she was just some random hag looking for power."  
  
"Of course." Lance snorted, "Why _wouldn't_  she be obsessively hunting Keith down? Can't she find some other firebird?"  
  
"She's got a personal grudge against me." Keith shrugged, shifting uncomfortably, "And probably you too if she remembers everything that went down in Altea clearly."

"Altea? You know of it?" Allura asked in surprise, "How?"

"Keith and I lived there in our past lives." Lance explained, earning a confused look from the female pirate. "I know, it's confusing. I was a water mage, and Keith was passing by. We met there for the first time and broke my curse. The _first_  curse I had, not this one."  
  
"You're trying to say that you used to live in Altea?" Allura was sceptical about this, wanting to believe but finding it hard to do so.  
  
"Lance is telling the truth." Keith chirped in, "I was in Altea long ago. It was a city engulfed in magic. I'd go as far as to say that it was one of the most beautiful places I ever visited."  
  
The female pirate remained quiet, trying to get her head around it. Knowing that Keith is immortal though made this much more believable, "I'm glad to hear that. Perhaps you could tell me a bit more about Altea when you have the time?"  
  
"You seem to be really interested in Altea." Shiro noted, "Do you have a connection to it?"

"As a matter of fact I do." There was a soft smile on Allura's face, one of fondness yet also grief, "All of my ancestors were from Altea. It is said that they were a royal family, ruling all of Altea and made it as prosperous as it was. I wish to resurrect Altea and bring it back to its former glory. That's why I've set out on a mission with Lance to find ways in which I can achieve this."

"I remember you telling me about that." The said pirate confirmed, "But I had no idea that the Altea you were talking about then was _that_  Altea I used to live in. Then again, I had no memories of Altea when we met, or anything about my past life for that matter."

"And that's due to my influence." Keith turned to the other, "Me being around you, and our connection, may be awakening these memories within you. Usually mortals aren't suppose to remember things from their past lives, but due to my blessings, you are able to."  
  
"Wow... Thanks babe." Lance leaned closer towards his lover. "Does that mean I'll remember more things?"  
  
"It's likely." Keith nodded, "But there are some things I would like you to never remember."  
  
Lance was about to ask Keith what these things were but he was interrupted by Shiro.

"Now we know that Haggar is a threat. She has been tracking Keith for centuries and won't give up until she achieves her goal." The thunderbird tightened his hand into a fist, "Then we also have Zarkon to worry about. I don't know about Haggar, but Zarkon is heading towards us as we speak. We don't know when he may arrive so we'll have to be prepared." With all of the pirates here, and himself present, it would be convenient to make a plan now.

"Keith and I will have to flee." That was an absolute must, "I've considered a possibility of staying here to fight but after speaking with Luxia about this in more detail, we concluded that it would be better if all of us hid for the time being. The mer have agreed to remain in the deep ocean while Keith and I will flee. This leaves us with only one problem." Shiro's eyes drifted onto the pirates, "What will you do?"  
  
"We find a way to escape." Allura replied.  
  
"And if we can't, then we either hide or fight." Lance continued, "That's always been our way."  
  
"What?" Keith turned to Lance in a startle, "You can't stay here and fight! Are you mad?"  
  
"Maybe." The pirate snorted, "But we'll only fight if they find us. If we don't manage to build the raft in time, or don't find a way to get Blue, then we'll hide. You must know some deep places that are impossible to find." Blue eyes met violet ones, "We hide and when they leave, we surface again. It's easy."

"That's madness." Keith growled, "I know we have Zarkon to worry about but there's also Haggar." He pointed at Lance's chest, "What about this? Do you really think it'll disappear on it's own? You need me with you if you want any hope of breaking it."

Lance quirked a brow, looking down at his chest as much as he could. He noticed a bit of black on his skin, making him panic, "What's this!?"  
  
"A curse." Keith's tone was low, "And it will only keep expanding if I don't burn it with my flames."  
  
"Like a virus?" Lance asked, touching his chest.  
  
"Corruption." The firebird's voice was venomous, clearly agitated by the mark.  
  
"But Keith, you understand how dangerous all of this is. If you remain on the island, then there's a high chance that they'll capture you. And when you die this time... You might not be coming back again." Shiro was uneasy, trying to convey this to the other.

"Absolutely not." Lance hissed, turning to face the firebird, "You dying _in general_  is bad enough. I'm not letting this hag catch you and kill you for good."  
  
"Even the stars must one day die." Keith shrugged.  
  
"You're not a damn star." Lance hissed, "You're Keith."  
  
"Not to mention what even one of your feathers can do." Coran hummed, "If this hag, powerful as she is, gets her hands on even one of them...I don't even want to think about it, much less what she could do with a whole firebird."  
  
"We can't leave six pirates to fight a _whole army_  alone." Keith hissed, shaking his head angrily, "Where will you even hide? They'll comb the whole island, and Haggar knows about Lance's connection to me. They won't just kill you Lance, they're not merciful enough for that, they'll try to use you to find me. We _can't_  leave any of you here."

"Calm down Keith." Shiro moved to touch Keith's shoulder, "We'll figure this out but you'll have to remain calm."

"Calm? How can I do that when none of your plans make any sense. We're _not_  leaving the pirates. That's final." He was having none of it, and even Shiro won't be able to sway his mind on this one.

"Alright." And Shiro did succumb, sitting up straight. "Then we have to think of a way to get you all off the island before Zarkon arrives. As far as the mer, Keith and I are concerned, we're ready. We just have to figure out how to get you out of here."

"It wouldn’t be a problem if you guys didn't sink our ship in the first place." Matt grumbled.

"Stop bringing that up, I already apologised for it." Keith folded his arms, already fuming as is.

"The Blue Lion was a maiden beloved by all of us. We can't help but be sour about it mullet." Lance leaned his back against the pillow, also folding his arms.

"I'm sorry." Shiro apologised as well, "But for now, let's focus on the solution at hand. If we all work on building you a strong enough of a raft, will you be able to sail to the next inhabitable island?"

"We should be able to do that." Hunk answered, "Well... The island is isolated so it will take us a while so..."

"Ugh! Why are we even having problems with this? The solution is easy!" Keith was having none of it, more than fed up with everything, "Shiro, you'll carry the pirates on your back and we'll drop them off to the nearest town. We can stay with them as well and then we'll come back when Zarkon finds out we weren't there. It's the _best_  solution we have."  
  
Shiro raises a brow at his brother, "There are a few problems with that line of thinking Keith. First, no town is going to accept them if they see them riding in on the back of a giant thunderbird. Second, the nearest town is a _long_  flight. Third, we're going to have to stay on the _move_  if we don't want Zarkon to catch us."

"Then we won't _stay_  in the town." Keith rubbed his forehead tiredly, "And we'll rest on other islands on the way. Gods, _why_  are you making this so difficult?"  
  
"I'm just pointing out the holes in your plan." Shiro shrugged.  
  
"We can't leave them on a _raft_  when there are _sea monsters_  in the water." Keith reminded, "They'll be _eaten_  in minutes."

"Keith, calm down. You're getting heated up again." Shiro warned, putting his hand on Keith's shoulder once more to try and calm him down. "Getting agitated over this will get us nowhere."  
  
"What do you expect!? We keep going in circles and I'm sick of it! Your 'holes' don't even make sense Shiro! What's wrong with having the pirates on your back? Can't handle a longer flight?" Keith pushed, "We don't have to land near a city or a town to begin with! We'll land somewhere where people won't see us! And _then_  we'll let the pirates go to the town or city. I don't see how that is a hole in my plan."  
  
Keith got more frustrated by the minute, his wings lighting up in weak flames to reflect his agitated state.  
  
Lance sensed this right away, moving to hold Keith's hand, "Keith, it's okay. We'll figure something out."  
  
"We'll figure shit! I'm not leaving anyone behind!" Keith hissed, more of his flames coming out.  
  
Shiro felt the temperature in the hut rise, rushing the pirates out. "Get out everyone! It's getting hot in here." And the pirates did, getting out of the hut. Shiro got out too, waiting for Keith to calm down a bit.  
  
Lance remained by Keith's side, holding onto his hand tightly. "Keith, nobody will stay behind, trust me."  
  
"I'm sick of this planning." The firebird hissed, pulling his flames back. "The solution is _easy_. All of this is giving me a headache."  
  
Lance sighed in defeat, "I feel the same way. Actually, I think we should go with your plan."  
  
"You do?" Keith raised a brow. "You're not just saying that to make me calm down, are you?"  
  
"Nope!" Lance folded his arms, "I think your plan is the best one we have so far. I don't see why we couldn't jump on Shiro's back, fly to the nearest island, and then jump off somewhere discreet."

" _Thank you_." Keith huffed, falling onto his back with crossed arms, "Finally! Someone going with the pragmatic option."  
  
"I think your brother is just worried he'll drop us or something." Lance tried to smooth the firebird's temper, brushing his hands between the feathers, "I'm sure he didn't mean to be so argumentative, he's just worried and trying to work out the kinks in the plan."  
  
"It's stupidly simple." Keith grumbled, "We honestly shouldn't even be having this conversation."  
  
"Not everyone is going to be comfortable flying for hours with a storm right behind them." Lance pointed out, "And I know for a _fact_  that you have trouble flying in the rain."  
  
"Doesn't matter. We can take breaks on other islands." Keith rubbed his temples, "We're talking in circles again. I _hate_  talking in circles."  
  
"I know babe." Lance leaned in and kissed the crown of Keith's forehead, "I know, you always have."  
  
"We should get up." Keith grumbled, "We got to start getting things ready before Zarkon and his fleet show up."

"Alright." Lance agreed, moving to sit up, "But what are we doing exactly?" If they were all going to flee, they didn't need to prepare anything. Did they?

"I want to pack some things." Keith shrugged as he and Lance made their way out, "I need to visit the temple as well to seal the entrance. It won't stop Zarkon but hopefully it'll minimise the damage."  
  
"I doubt it'll help babe." Lance sighed, "Do you have a mirror somewhere? I really want to see how my hair looks." He could see some strands but nothing can beat a proper mirror.  
  
And as they came out of the hut, they were met with the rest of the pirates and Shiro, "Calmed down enough Keith?" The thunderbird asked in concern, "Can we finish planning now?"  
  
"Ugh... We already have a plan. We'll take the pirates with us." Keith didn't feel like repeating himself at the moment.  
  
"I know but-"  
  
"Listen Shiro, I really don't want to discuss this further. We already agreed on a plan so it's done and over with." Keith reached out to pick the tanned pirate up before extending his wings. "I'll be getting ready for the travel now. See you later." Keith flapped his wings, taking flight while the pirates and Shiro watched him take off.  
  
"Whoa! Cool your jets Keith! We already agreed on a plan. Nobody is against it." Lance tried to assure his lover, hands wrapped around Keith's neck.  
  
"I don't care. I'm going to pack a few things and you'll get to see yourself in the mirror." Keith gilded back smoothly, landing on the deck of his treehouse in record time. He opened the door, entering before placing Lance down. The pirate stretched his arms out, spotting a mirror right away. He walked up to it, horrified to see that his hair really was all white.  
  
"I feel like I've become my past self again." He grumbled, noting the black mark on his chest next. Touching it, he could feel his skin but...it was dark, just in the middle of his chest. "This is some deja vu." Fate was really, _really_ , cruel to him.  
  
"The hair isn't that bad. I like it." Keith tried to sound optimistic.  
  
"I know, but I still can't help it. I got cursed by the same hag _twice_. How unlucky is that?" Lance turned away from the mirror, heading towards Keith's nest before letting himself fall onto it.  
  
"Are you okay?" Keith asked in concern, busying himself with packing some of his clothes.  
  
"Just tired, but other than that I'm fine." Blue eyes moved onto the firebird, "So you're going to the temple next? Can I stay here while you go ahead and do all that?" He snuggled into the nest, making himself comfortable.

Keith frowned a bit at the dejected way Lance slumped in the nest. The firebird paused for a moment, trying to figure out what the right thing to do in this situation was. He didn't remember a lot of the finer details of his relationship with Lancelot, so he wasn't sure how he was able to comfort him about the permanency of his hair now. White hair had a stigma against it, and while Lance could hide it he'd need a lot of money and dedication to doing so.  
  
Moving to fold his clothes into a leather bag, Keith sighed, deciding that it was probably best to let Lance have some time alone right now, where people wouldn't smother him. He turned to the pirate, wincing a bit in sympathy, "You stay here, I'll be back after I'm done sealing up the temple and hiding some of the more delicate relics."  
  
"Sounds great love." Lance waved off.  
  
Keith gave his lover one last, worried, look before taking off to deal with his tasks.

Lance turned to the side once Keith took off, watching the firebird fly into the distance. He sighed heavily, turning himself so that he was staring up at the ceiling. He messed up big time, and he didn't even know how me managed to mess up this bad in the first place. What did he do?

Pushing himself to sit up, Lance stared at himself in the mirror, examining his new appearance. He could get over the white hair, that wasn't such big of an issue. He'd have to deal with it, just like Allura learned to deal with her own hair. The mark... They would get rid of it eventually, so that didn't bother him _as much_  as it should have.

It did bother him though that he got himself into the same situation he was in his previous life. The irony of it was so bittersweet that he could almost laugh. He felt like he was his past self again, only this time with the addition of scales on his legs. He didn't have magical abilities but now that he knows that he was able to control magic like that, he's tempted to learn.

It could come in handy when travelling across the sea. Maybe Keith could help him with that? He must remember something about magic from his time in Altea, or maybe he knew about it already? Whatever the case may be, Lance will have to ask.  
  
The pirate laid down again, looking up at the ceiling. Keith was going to take a while, wasn't he? What should he do in the meantime? There was nothing he could do in here, and he doubted he could do anything out there either. It was hard to find something to do when you're stuck on an island with nothing on it.  
  
Grumbling in defeat, he decided to make himself comfortable and sleep. He felt so tired, incredibly tired. Even though he'd just woken up from sleep, he wanted to sleep some more.

Closing his eyes, Lance quickly found himself in the world of darkness again.

 

* * *

 

Keith was happy he had the hindsight to make a small hidden chamber under the temple when he and Shiro were building it. It wasn't very big at all, and it wouldn't hold all the altars, but the firebird could put some of the rarer or more delicate relics inside and seal the door. While the idea of Zarkon being cursed by the gods for destroying relics was appealing, the idea of his soldiers being the only ones who got the blame didn't. Gods were funny and fickle like that.  
  
The sun wanted him to burn Zarkon, and one day he might have to, but right now he had to ready everything and flee. Keith liked to think he understood the sun better than any other god, and he knew the sun preferred he be safe than to burning a man alive. And when the ocean started saying you should flee...well...it was best to listen.  
  
Keith hummed as he sealed the door to the temple. He was weak, so weak right now, and he really should be resting, but he wanted to be able to _go_  before anything happened. The mer would be fine in deeper waters, surrounded by creatures who could protect them. Even Florona, with her damaged tail, could make it. Avains couldn't go underwater, after all, and even if they could the mer had formidable warriors.  
  
He and Shiro, however, couldn't hide beneath the waves. They'd have to go, and the pirates would have to come with them. It was the only way to get them to safety. Besides, Keith owed it to Lance after getting him cursed _again_. Because Keith had _no doubt_  the hag targeted Lance to get to him eventually, it was just  _too_  convenient.  
  
The firebird threw out his wings, ready to fly back towards his treehouse where his lover was waiting, hoping he'd given the pirate enough alone time.

 

* * *

 

Lance found himself in a world of darkness. It was difficult for him to move, as if his body was being held down by the black mass that was surrounding him on all sides. He tried to get out, but the black vines around him were too strong, not budging at all.

He heard growls surrounding him, looking around to spot glowing red eyes all around him. He trembled as the eyes approached, growls growing more ferocious by the second.

"K-Keith? Keith! Help!" He called out but his voice only echoed in the never-ending blackness. His trembling got worse, and now he could finally see the faces of those creatures around him. They were snarling, grins on their faces with incredibly sharp teeth.

"Keith! H-Help! Please!" He called out again, trying to free himself. However, it was too late because soon the creatures attacked, launching themselves onto him.  
  
Lance woke with a gasp, looking round himself to see that he was in Keith's treehouse. He was trembling, grabbing the nearest blanket he saw before curling himself up in the corner of the house. From where he was, he could see himself in the mirror, noting his white hair but also a strange scar like mark on his neck. He fumbled to examine it closer, only to see that it was originating from the mark on his chest. It expanded by the time he slept, reaching up to his neck.  
  
He did nothing with it though, covering himself with the blanket as he waited for his lover to come back.

It took awhile, but eventually the sound of footsteps landed outside the doorway, "Lance, are you awake?"  
  
"Keith!" Lance threw the blankets off of himself, jumping to his feet and rushing towards the pale boy hurriedly, throwing himself into his arms. The firebird made a startled noise as he instinctively wrapped his arms around the pirate, hugging him close as the former brunette buried himself into the other's neck.  
  
"Lance, what...?" Keith pushed himself away to look over his distressed lover, only to freeze when he saw the way the mark had spread over the skin since he'd been gone. He reached up, hand instantly bursting into white fire as he tried to slow the progress of the mark, fighting through his own exhaustion as he tried to burn away the blackened magic, "How? That mark shouldn't be spreading this fast!"  
  
"I don't know!" Lance stressed, "It was just _like_  that when I woke up!"  
  
"I'm not going to lie to you Lance." Keith stated as he moved the pirate to sit on the carpet, moving both his hands up to try and fight the spreading curse. He hissed as a wave of nausea hit him, but he couldn't stop yet, "This is bad. I'm going to have to burn this _all_  away before it spreads faster. I don't know how the hag is fighting my power like this, but we have to cut the connection at the source. We can't risk leaving a single strand."  
  
"Babe, you're exhausted. How are you going to do it?" Lance grabbed Keith’s wrist as he felt the white flames burn against the curse.  
  
"We're going to have to do this fast." Keith sighed, spreading his wings and wrapping them around his lover, "Get ready, this is going to make me a bit sick."  
  
"Keith wha-?" Lance tried, but he didn't get a chance to finish, because suddenly Keith's whole body burst into white fire, and Lance was caught right along with it. The flames burned clean, and it was so overwhelming that Lance could barely make out the sight of Keith's raven hair dancing against the flames. The mark on his skin burned, and Lance's ears heard the sound of distant screaming as the flames did their best to fight back against it. Keith was wobbling now, his exhaustion catching up to him, and Lance could _feel_  his lover's hold weakening around him every moment.  
  
Then Keith fell, leaving Lance to hold a burning body of white fire.

"Keith!" Lance called out, barely able to make out Keith's figure among the flames. "Keith! _Keith_!" He called out again when suddenly the flames dispersed, vanishing as if they were never there. Lance held onto the firebird tightly in his arms, worriedly looking his lover over.

He did catch a glimpse of himself in the mirror, noting that the mark had shrunk back to its previous state. It still hurt, the mark throbbed against his chest to try and stabilise itself.

Lance held on, dragging Keith up to his nest to rest. "It's okay Keith. I got you." He managed to get the firebird down onto the bed, and as soon as he did, he collapsed beside him. A tanned hand reached out to push some of Keith's hair away from his face. That is until darkness overtook him again, losing consciousness beside his lover who laid motionlessly as well.

Lance was the first to rise from the depths of unconsciousness, a hand on his shoulder desperately trying to shake him awake. He jerked up, eyes landing on a frantic looking Shiro, "Wha-"  
  
"Get up." The thunderbird commanded, "There's no more time, we have to go."  
  
"Wait." Lance wobbled to his feet, but the thunderbird had already moved to pick the still unconscious Keith up. The firebird made a noise, his eyes peering open for just a moment as he tried to wake, but he swiftly passed out again. The thunderbird turned towards the pirate, a frown heavy on his face, "Grab your stuff, a few mer will carry us out as far as it’s safe, we'll sail until Keith wakes up."

"S-Sail?" Lance tried to snap out of it, barely registering Shiro's words, "Why? What's happening?"

"Zarkon, he's here." The thunderbird's tone was heavy, slicing the humid air between them. It snapped Lance out of his daze somewhat, eyes widening.

"Already?" The pirate asked in shock.  
  
"Yes. Now get your stuff. We have to go quickly!" Shiro urged and Lance listened, grabbing his coat before going out the door and following the taller man. Shiro held Keith tightly, looking down at the ground below them before turning to Lance. "You'll have to follow me and slide down the rope. Can you do that?"  
  
The pirate nodded weakly, "Y-Yeah, I can."  
  
"Good. Now let’s go, everyone is waiting for us at the shore." Shiro didn't waste time, sliding down the rope carefully while carrying Keith on his shoulder. Lance watched him go, feeling his head spin. But he tried to shake it in favour of the task at hand.  
  
He slid down, somehow managing to hold onto the rope but stumbling at the end. He fell on the ground with a thud, groaning in pain.  
  
"You okay?" Shiro turned.  
  
"I-I'm fine." Lance assured, standing up.  
  
Everything was hazy.  
  
Everything hurt.  
  
"Good, let's hurry." Shiro fast paced his way to his destination, Lance following suit. The vegetation around him was a blur, Shiro's figure disappearing among the green around him. He felt his chest throb, painful as he walked.  
  
He doesn't know how but he somehow managed to make it to the shore with Shiro, a few feet behind the thunderbird as he reached the group of pirates and mer that were waiting in the water.  
  
"Hurry!" Plaxum called, "Zarkon is already here!"  
  
"Is everyone here?" Shiro asked worriedly.  
  
"Everyone is accounted for. We have to leave _now!"_  Allura flinched, looking out into the distance to see the fleet of ships coming their way. They weren't floating on the sea, but instead the ships were all flying. They were countless, endlessly emerging from the dark clouds around them.  
  
"Hurry!" Pidge urged them all to run towards the sea, however, before they could reach it, dark flames suddenly appeared to stop them in their tracks. Shiro was startled, staring head on at the burning black flames before them.  
  
"You're not going anywhere." A dark voice hissed behind them, everyone turning to look at Lance. The pirate was surrounded by darkness, eyes black and hair white as he stared at them with a grin on his face. "Give me the firebird and nobody will get hurt."  
  
"Lance! W-What happened to you!?" Hunk's eyes were wide, staring at his best friend in disbelief.  
  
"Corruption! It took over!" Pidge could see it right away in the dark aura around the other, as well as the dark flames that were surrounding them.  
  
Shiro clenched his teeth, his hold on Keith tightening. "You're not getting Keith." He hissed, looking around himself. If he changes into his true form, he'll be able to put down these flames.  
  
"I'm not here to negotiate." Lance grumbled, controlling the flames so that they surrounded him and the group entirely. "Give me what I want."

Shiro didn't bother saying anything, he didn't even hesitate, he just transformed. The man placed the firebird on the ground, before letting himself melt into the bird form. He leaned his giant shape over the unconscious boy, and picked him up between his talons. He gave a mighty cry as he flapped his thunderous wings harshly, the storm clouds already forming as he rose into the air.  
  
It didn't take long for the rains to come as Shiro dashed upward. The airships must have spotted him, because the doors to their ships opened and a small army of avians began descending from the skies.  
  
Shiro didn't waste time, he dove, his mighty wings flapping harshly as he evaded the army. He flapped harshly, as strong and as quick as he could, dodging and weaving to avoid the avians and their firepower, the storms brewing behind him as he moved to keep his brother out of their reach.  
  
Back on the ground the pirates dashed as soon as the rains started to pour. The possessed Lance made a mighty scream as the black magic consumed him. Hunk tried to tackle the possessed boy, but he was gone before the yellow pirate could even touch him.

"Hunk! We have to get out of here!" Pidge grabbed her fellow pirate by the arm, dragging him towards the sea where the mer were waiting for them. They wouldn't stand a chance against the giant army of avians, which left them with only one option. They had to escape to the sea and leave the island.  
  
"Not without Lance!" Hunk insisted, worriedly watching as their captain screamed out in pain. Dark magic was surrounding him on all sides, consuming him whole. Hunk shivered, conflicted while Pidge pulled him.  
  
"We'll come back for him later! Let's go!" And when one of the avians aimed their arrow at them, that's when Hunk understood that they really had to leave. He and the rest dove into the sea, the mer helping them as soon as they did. They wouldn't be able to breathe under the water but the mer are fast swimmers. If they swim quickly enough, they'll be able to escape the avians and hide within the dark clouds before surfacing up for air again.  
  
Lance grumbled, eyes looking up at the flying thunderbird. Rains were beginning to gain in strength, falling heavily and hindering the avians ability to fly. Nobody could fly in the rain, that is apart from the thunderbird itself. Wings and feathers didn't mix well with water, and eventually, the wings would become too heavy to fly with. This proved to be true when some of the avians began landing, the thunderbird disappearing among the dark clouds that surrounded the island.  
  
He was gone, and so was the firebird.  
  
The pirate remained on the ground as avians gathered around him, watching while the dark aura consumed him. There was nothing but the sound of rain droplets falling all around, marking their defeat and incompetence at retrieving what they came here for.  
  
Lance's dark eyes were on the ground, his dark flames losing strength. Then he felt a powerful push on his back, a foot harshly making him fall down on his front against the wet sand. The foot pushed deeper into him, making him let out a pained cry.  
  
"Incompetent puppet." The man hissed, voice low as he spoke. "We relied on you to retrieve the firebird. Now, however, it seems to have been a mistake on our part." The man pushed his foot deeper into Lance's back, the pirate letting out another pained cry.  
  
"Sire." A glowing bird flew towards the man, landing on his shoulder. It was completely unaffected by the air, as if its glow was protecting it from the water. "He will be of further use to us. It seems that the firebird was unconscious as the thunderbird carried him away. We should wait here and plan for the firebird's return." Haggar's voice came from the little bird, dark as she spoke to the man in command.  
  
The man being none other than Zarkon himself.  
  
Zarkon hummed, lowering his gaze onto the pirate, "The firebird would be a fool to return to the island. He managed to escape this time."  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure sire." The small bird remained sitting contently on Zarkon's shoulder, "Love is something the firebird cherishes deeply. I have no doubt that he will return to the island."

"Love." Zarkon hissed, pushing his foot further into Lance's back, the pirate letting out another pained cry. "Love is but a fairytale. It doesn't exist." He looked up at the dark clouds in the sky, eyes narrowing at the spot where the thunderbird disappeared in.  
  
"Three days. If the firebird doesn't return by then, we'll follow." That was the most he was willing to give.  
  
"As you wish sire." Haggar agreed, "However, it would be a waste to kill the pirate if the firebird decides to leave him behind. I have far better uses for him in the future than death. He shall be my slave for centuries to come." The small bird flapped its wings, "And he has a connection with the firebird I wish to exploit."  
  
"Very well." Zarkon agreed, finally moving his foot away. "We will remain here for three days. Use the pirate as you wish. He's yours." With that, Zarkon walked away while the small bird flew off his shoulder. It landed next to Lance as Zarkon and some of his men left.  
  
"Rise." Haggar commanded, "I will use you to get to the firebird."  
  
Lance pushed himself up, wobbling as he stood, "Yes."  
  
The small bird took flight to land on his shoulder, walking with the rest of the avians as they made their way to the ships.

 

* * *

 

Keith woke with a groan, his whole body feeling heavy and sore, like he he'd been dropped from a cliff and forgot to fly. He tried to sit up, but his whole body was weighed down by his heavy wings, which seemed to be wet for some reason, "Wha-"

"Keith!" Coran rushed to his side, Matt beside him as they both helped him sit up, "Thank goodness you're awake!"  
  
"Wh-Where am I?" Keith looked around, seeing the three of them were in a cave of some sort, "Where is everyone?"  
  
"We're on an island." Matt answered, "A different one than the one you lived on, the others have gone to make a plan while you rest up."

Keith quirked a brow, confused. He flinched, moving his hand up to support his head. He could already feel the beginning of a major headache. "A different island? The closest island from us is miles away." Why would they travel that far away? Even if Keith flew by himself it would take him at least a day to get to other habitable land.  
  
"We'll explain everything later, for now, we have to make sure that you're okay." Matt sat beside the firebird, checking him over. "Could you eat a bit of this? They're flower petals with the ability to help you heal."  
  
Keith absentmindedly took two petals, chewing on them before swallowing.  
  
"They should help relieve you of any pain you may be experiencing." Coran provided, "Are you able to use your flames? We managed to dry ourselves somewhat but we can't dry your wings fast enough. You may get a cold if they remain wet like this."  
  
Keith took note of everything they were saying, looking around himself and noting the rock all around. Were they in a cave? Following the only source of light, he spotted a campfire nearby. He could see some clothes drying by the fire as well.

Violet eyes closed, focusing on his power as he pulled the flames from within himself, they were still weaker than normal, but he wasn't as exhausted as he had been. He flapped out his wings a bit, letting the flames dry a bit as she settled himself upward, "Thank you."  
  
"Nevermind the thanks. How are you feeling dear boy?" Coran rubbed his hands together eyes flickering back over towards the campfire.  
  
"I'm tired." Keith shook his head, "How long have we been here?"  
  
"Only a few hours." Matt answered, helping Keith into a standing position, "We had to get away fast, the island was attacked while you were out of it."  
  
"It was?" Keith frowned heavily, his stomach turning at the thought, "How did they get there so fast? How is everyone? Were there any casualties? What happened?"

"Well..." Coran and Matt shared a sympathetic look between themselves, silently trying to determine which one of them will tell Keith what exactly happened. Matt was the one who gave in, lowering his gaze before his eyes moved up to meet Keith's own violet orbs.

"Zarkon's fleet appeared so suddenly. _Poof_! and they were suddenly _right_  there in the sky." It was surprising how nobody managed to spot them. "We weren't able to see them coming but Shiro could sense them so that gave us some time to get ready. He went to fetch you while the rest of us gathered on the shore."

"The mer were waiting for us, and they helped us get to this island as well." Coran added, "We spent an entire day swimming in the sea at incredible speeds. I don't think I'll ever recover from it." He was as dry as a prune at the moment.

"Shiro carried you while the rest of us swam, but luckily we managed to make it in one piece. We also had Baku who let us ride on it." They were extra lucky, but now their skin suffered the damage of long exposure to seawater.

"We're all coping." Coran was uncertain, recovering quickly, "Ah! But I'll let Shiro explain the rest. He'll come by later to check on you. Why don't you rest a bit more? You shouldn't be walking around just yet."

"How the _hell_  did they get here so fast?" He found himself settled onto the rock around the campfire. He shook himself out, letting what was left of the water drip from his body.  
  
"Who knows." Matt shrugged, "They were just _there_ , and then Lance went all evil and..."  
  
" _What_?" Keith cut off the boy, throwing himself right back to his feet, stumbling a bit as he did so while black splotches swam around his vision. He tried to straighten himself, but Coran had to catch him and hold him up. He shook his head, rounding back on Matt, "What do you mean?"  
  
Matt, realizing he made a terrible mistake, scratched the back of his head sheepishly, wincing a bit, "Lance is probably okay right now..."  
  
" _Probably?"_  
  
"Well...he can't be _too_  bad off. He was laughing evilly and trying to set us on fire." Matt tried to wave off, "Shiro's coming up with a plan to get him back though."

Keith tried to shake the dizziness he felt in favour of standing still. The black spots in his vision were still there, but he pushed them aside, focusing on the task at hand. "You're not telling me anything. I'll go find out what's happening on my own." He took a step forward, aiming to get out of the cave they were in.

"Whoa! Careful there chap! You'll hurt yourself and then we'll have more trouble on our hands." The older pirate tried to reason, holding onto Keith and supporting him as he stood.

"Then why won't you tell me what's going on?" Keith asked with a hiss.  
  
"Well-"  
  
"I'll tell you." Shiro's voice sounded, the thunderbird appearing at the entrance of the cave. Light shone brightly behind him as he stood, walking further inside with the rest of the pirates following suit.  
  
"Keith! You're okay! Thank goodness." Hunk sighed in relief, although he himself didn't look all too good.  
  
"About time. Now you can help us reason with your brother over here." Pidge shrugged, eyes narrowed on Shiro.  
  
"We're not talking about that anymore." The thunderbird dismissed her, walking up to Keith. "How are you feeling Keith? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Keith shook his head again, "What's going on?"  
  
"Well..." Pidge tried, but Shiro cut her off.  
  
"You're out of commission, there's an army after us, and we need to sit down and think of a _plan_  before we try rushing in and doing anything stupid." Shiro replies firmly, "Because one group of people can't take down an army, especially since the ones that _could_  are down."  
  
"We can't just leave La-" Hunk cut in, but Shiro cut him off again.  
  
"And we _won't_ , but we can't rush in. We _do_  need a plan, and we _need_  to make sure that, if we fail, they _don't_  get Keith." The thunderbird shook his head.

"But how do we make sure of that?" Pidge asked, folding her arms. "We've already talked about this. Keith should stay here and we'll go get Lance. There's no other way for us to make sure he's safe."

"There is a way." The thunderbird was insistent.

"No, there isn't. Your condition is that if we fail, then Keith has to be able to escape, but I don't see how we can do that. We're going to face an army, you said it yourself. How do we let him slip by then?" This talk was getting them nowhere and Pidge was already sick of it.

"First we need to calm ourselves." Allura joined the fray, "There has to be a way for us to make this work. All we have to do is calm down and work together. Senseless fights will get us nowhere."

"Allura is right. We have to work together." Hunk fidgeted with his hands, finally looking up. "We don't even know what Zarkon has up his sleeve. For all we know, he could have a way to counter Keith's flames and Shiro's thunder."

"Wait..." Keith looked around, finally becoming aware enough that he recognized what was happening, "I thought Haggar got Lance?"  
  
"Haggar _and_  Zarkon are working together." Shiro spit, "Which might be why Zarkon's Empire is so successful. He's got the hag on his side, whispering in his ear, it won't take long for them to find us either, so we need to come up with something _now_."  
  
"We still have a few mer in the waters." Matt shrugged, "So we can take advantage of that, but that won't help if the ships can fly. You're going to have to make a hurricane or something to ground them."  
  
"We'll have to find a way to cover Shiro." Allura mused, "Or we'll have no chance. Keith and Shiro are the only one's right now with enough raw power to take out that many ships, and Keith is weakened."  
  
"So it's all up to how long we can keep them off Shiro." Hunk groaned, "Greeeeaaaat."  
  
"Baku is still in the water." Coran supplied, "If we can crash the ships..."  
  
"We better come up with something fast." Pidge groaned, "Because they can probably fly faster than we can swim."

"Uhhh... Guys? How can they track us down if they don't know where we went?" Hunk raised his hand up, asking the others confusingly. "We could have gone anywhere. I don't think they'd know that we're here."

The rest of them blinked.

"You're right, and that does give us some time." Shiro tightened his hand into a fist. "But we didn't travel far which means that it'll be easier for them to find us if they split up."

"But we _still_  have time, is what you're trying to say." Pidge wanted to make this clear, "How long will it take for you both to recover?" Her gaze was on the two birds, waiting for an answer.

"I'm ready should there be a need to fight." Shiro informed, "But Keith will need a bit more time. I'm not letting him out of here before I know that he's-"

Shiro's words began to fade when Keith suddenly felt a pang of pain hit him. He froze, eyes widening as he focused on the incredible pain that began to course through him. He felt as if a sword had stabbed his chest, the pain spreading like venom.

' _Help me_.'

He heard Lance's voice, desperate yet pained at the same time, calling out to him. He clenched his chest, holding onto it tightly as he panted.

Keith shook his head, clutching both sides as he tried to fight off the stabbing pain. He let a pained noise escape him, standing up as he tried to stumble towards the entrance of the cave.  
  
"Keith? You need to lay down." Hunk rushed after him, grabbing his shoulders and trying to lead him back to the campfire, "Man, are you okay? You don't look so good."  
  
' _Come to me, firebird_.' Keith heard a deep voice rumble, ' _Come home and let us ease the pain_.'  
  
"Y-You..." Keith blinked, because the voice was so _familiar_ , "I know you."  
  
' _Come to us firebird. Only we can end the pain_.' The voice answered, and then there was a shrieking pain as Keith felt something akin to needles being drilled into his eyes, and he hissed at the feeling, hearing Lance's distant voice telling them to _stop_  somewhere in the background.  
  
"I...I'm coming." Keith stumbled back up, "I'm coming."

"Keith?" Shiro was alerted, walking up to his brother before moving to support him, "What happened? Keith? Can you hear me?"

"I-I'm coming." The firebird uttered before falling to his knees. The pain got to him, but he felt the source of it disappear, as if the connection was suddenly cut. There would be no more pain, at least for the moment being.

"Keith!" Shiro got an inkling as to what may be going on, eyes wide open as he looked down at the other, "Keith! Can you hear me? Say something! Anything!"

"I-I can hear you." Keith managed to answer. "But we're being tracked. They know where we are."

"What?" All of the pirates asked in union.

"How?" And Pidge was the one to ask the important question.

"Through me. They're using Lance's connection with me to track me. They _know_  where I am and they can dig deeper into both our heads. The connection was cut but it won't be soon until Haggar attacks again." She'll use anything to get to him, _anything_  at all.

"Riiiigghhhht." Matt drawled, falling back against the wall, "So running is out, and they're probably on their way _right now_. So if anyone has _any_  ideas, I'm all ears."  
  
"I'll have to take out as many ships as I can." Shiro stood up, walking back to the entrance of the cave, "I'm not risking anything, you all stay here and take care of Keith, I'm going to make the _biggest_  hurricane I can. I don't know when the Galra will get here, but they're going to _regret_  ever flying these skies by the time I'm done."  
  
Shiro didn't wait, he took a running leap off the cliff, taking his true from as he took to the skies. He moved through the skies, flapping upward until he was out of sight from the pirates. It didn't take long at all for the rains to start falling, and the pirates huddled closer to the fire as lightning quickly flashed outside.  
  
"How long can he go out there?" Pidge asked, adjusting her position on a rock.  
  
"Hours." Keith blinked, still clutching his head, "He's only ever done it once though, as far as I know. Have you ever seen the biggest a hurricane can get? Be lucky we're in a cave on a cliff, it's going to get nasty out there."

Allura's blue eyes were on the entrance, watching as rain began falling down heavily. The thunderbird would surely make it harder for Zarkon and his fleet to get to them but what then? They can't stay here forever. She turned to her crew as well as the weakened firebird.

She had to take matters into her own hands.

"Coran, Matt, can you heal Keith enough so that he's able to fight?" She asked, turning to the said pirates.

"To fight?" The older pirate stroked his moustache in thought, "We can heal his headache and give him strength but that's all we'll be able to do."

"Those are the things we can do right off the bat." Matt turned to take the petals as well as some other herbs they gathered while Keith was asleep. "You'll need time to heal any other injuries you may have." He proceeded to give Keith more of the petals as well as the herbs he held. "Trust me, these should get you back on your feet so that you can fight if need be."

"Thanks." Keith accepted them, chewing on the plants as he ate.

"Shiro will cause damage but it won't be enough to get rid of their fleet. When the time comes and we see the enemy, we'll have to fight back." Allura patted the sword she had on her belt. "Now that we have our weapons back, we'll be able to defend ourselves."

"It's going to be rough." Keith hummed, "The rains will severely cut their numbers, but we'll still be outnumbered."  
  
"We don't need to take out the whole army, we just need to take out the main ship." Pidge mused, patting her own daggers, "We need to get onto the main ship and take out Zarkon and the hag."  
  
"Easier said than done there lass." Coran hummed, "We could likely get on the ship with Keith and Shiro's help, but the hag will be a formidable foe, and Zarkon will be no pushover either. Not to mention the soldiers on the ship, and we have no backup."  
  
"I can bless your weapons." Keith cut in, "I can enchant them, cause them to do more damage, if that would help at all. If you've got something you're willing to sacrifice I could probably even get a god's blessing for them."

"Something we're willing to sacrifice?" Matt asked in confusion.

Keith nodded, "Anything. It could be a strand of hair or an item, anything at all. However, it has to be of value to you, otherwise it won't be accepted."

Allura thought about Keith's words, but she didn't have to think twice about it before she found her answer. Approaching the firebird, she cut a huge chunk of her long white hair, handing it to Keith as the offering. "Is this enough?"

The firebird took it, burning the hair before the white strands began to glow, transferring onto Allura's blade. "It's perfect." Keith let her know, watching as the sword ceased its shine.

The rest of the pirates looked at her in awe, soon following in her footsteps. Hunk sacrificed a necklace he held dear, Pidge and Matt both gave items that they were given by their parents, and lastly Coran decided to offer his compass, one that was given to him by his ancestors.

All of the sacrifices were accepted, the weapons blessed by the gods themselves.

"I need to get out there." Allura turned to the entrance, "I can't sit here and wait while Shiro fights an entire fleet alone."

"How are you going to fight men that are in the air?" Keith asked.  
  
"The only way I can." She answered, walking out of the cave without even bothering to look back, her newly enchanted weapon in her hand, the soft white glow illuminating the space around her as she disappeared from their sight.  
  
"Princess! Wait!" Coran chased after her his own weapon glowing comfortingly against his side.  
  
"We'll I'm not waiting either!" Pidge ran after them, Matt, ever protective, cried out and chased after her. Soon it was only Hunk and Keith left in the cave, the storm clouds outside thundering loudly as the two boys were left alone.  
  
"I'll stay with you buddy." Hunk turned to Keith, "I'll help you get better, and when we're done we'll go get Lance, okay?"  
  
Keith blinked, body still weak, "Okay."

 

* * *

 

Lance shuddered, feeling the black magic as it moved along his body. He groaned out in pain, struggling in his restraints as he tried to resist Haggar's influence. Nothing worked, whatever he did, the old hag would always manage to make her way even to the deepest pits of his mind.

He panted as the hag moved her hand away, his body breaking down as he breathed. He wouldn't be able to take much more of this. It was painful, and it was _everywhere_. There was no escape from this.

"The firebird is on that island." Haggar turned to Zarkon who was standing tall next to a window of the ship, looking ahead at the island that was engulfed by dark clouds.

"I don't have the time to play silly little games with the thunderbird." His voice was low as he spoke, expressing his frustration at the extra effort he would have to make. "Why don't we make the firebird come to us instead?" He asked, turning to Haggar. "Are you able to do that?"

"If you wish it sire, then it will be done." She turned back towards the pirate, extending her hand to let her dark magic roam.

Lance let out a pained cry, feeling the magic manipulate him however it wanted.

Zarkon narrowed his eyes, turning to look at the island before him once again. The thunderbird may be trying to protect the firebird from harm by destroying his forces, but he won't be able to stop the firebird from leaving on his own accord.

 

* * *

 

"How are you feeling?" Hunk asked, handing Keith some more of the petals.

"Better. The headache is mostly gone." Keith assured, chewing on some more herbs to help him recover quickly. He looked out of the cave as he ate, concerned by the state of the weather. Luckily the cave seemed to be hidden, which meant that the soldiers would need some time to figure out where he is before actually finding him.  
  
"Want some more?" Hunk offered.  
  
"Thank you." And Keith accepted them. However, as he chewed, he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. It caught his attention, trying to focus on the spot where he saw the familiar figure. He narrowed his eyes, watching as Lance emerged from behind a rock.  
  
He hummed their song contently, turning around so that he was looking away from Keith. This, however, wasn't the Lance he knew. No, it wasn't the one he knew in this lifetime. "Lancelot?" He asked in confusion, watching as the figure tilted his head to smile at him.  
  
A tanned hand went up, water dancing around him as he stood. The water moved in harmony, controlled by magic as it floated around Lancelot's figure.

"Wait? What?" Hunk moved to watch as the figure emerged from the water, forming into a shape that gestured them forward. Hunk shook his head, "Who is that?"  
  
"That's Lance." Keith moved back, watching the water as it solidified into the person Lance had once been, "Before, centuries ago, before he died."  
  
"Yeah?" Hunk asked tentatively, pulling out his newly blessed weapon, "And what's he doing _here_?"  
  
The form gestured them closer, beckoning them to come closer to the water. Keith had a terrible feeling he knew why. If he stepped into it, he'd find himself submerged, and he wouldn't come back out in the same place, "It's a trap. They're trying to get me to come to _them_."  
  
"That sounds sketchy." Hunk took a step between Keith and Lancelot, "Like, _really_  sketchy."  
  
"Maybe...but it would also take us to Lance." Keith stepped forward.  
  
"Keith, buddy, I wanna save Lance too, but we have to think about this." Hunk grabbed his wrist, pulling him back.  
  
"We just need to get on the ship and kill Haggar, right?" Keith turned towards the yellow pirate, "We could end this all right now."  
  
"But, Keith, this is what they _want_. They're ready for you." Hunk tried to reason.  
  
"Maybe." Keith admitted, but his eyes never left Hunk's weapon, "But they're not ready for _you_."

"Huh?" The yellow pirate was taken aback, eyebrows raising as Keith stepped closer towards him. The firebird whispered into Hunk's ear, laying out the plan he had in mind. "Ohhh..." The pirate hummed in agreement, and once Keith took a step back, Hunk nodded at him with determination. He tightened his hold on the weapon he held, both he and Keith turning to face Lancelot head on.  
  
Keith took the first step, approaching ever closer.  
  
Lancelot noticed this, water dancing around him as Keith neared. However, once Keith was close enough, the figure remained standing in place, unmoving as the water floated around him. Keith was surprised by it, because he'd expected the water to swallow him as soon as he got close enough.  
  
He could feel traces of dark magic lingering around, but there was also a tint of something else among the darkness as well.  
  
Keith was wary, watching as Lancelot took a step closer to him. The firebird held in his breath, waiting for the water to consume him right then and there. He closed his eyes shut, waiting for the impact. However, what happened instead surprised him, opening his eyes to see Lancelot looking down at him with a fond smile on his face.

A tanned hand reached out, stroking the side of Keith's face in the same manner that Lance's own hand touched him. The hand moved, tracing along the spot where Keith once had a braid in his past life. The firebird stood frozen in place, eyes wide as he looked into those beautiful blue eyes he knew long ago. They were full of sorrow and something else as well... The feelings were there but Keith found himself unable to tell what else there was in those eyes that were looking at him.

"Uhh... K-Keith? Everything okay?" Hunk asked worriedly, weapon raised in case the figure suddenly attacked them.  
  
"I-I don't know." And he really didn't know. It could be that some of Lance's own quintessence got mixed into Haggar's magic, and seeing as she was using Lance to do this, it was more than likely. This must be Lance's quintessence, the same one that belonged to Lancelot. Quintessence is the essence of the soul, reborn and reincarnated.

"Is that really you?" Keith found himself asking, reaching out to touch Lancelot's face. He was wary but in face of the possibility that this really could be the spirit of his first love, he'd forgotten all of his fears. His hands reached out to touch Lancelot's face, however, just before they were about to meet, Keith's fingers passed through him, as if he were a ghost.

"A-A ghost!?" That got Hunk shivering, taking a step back.

The figure smiled, reaching out to touch Keith but his hands passed through him as well. His smile was soft, longing as he looked at the firebird. Tears began falling down his cheeks, lips moving to convey a single message to his lover.

Lancelot moved his lips slowly, Keith watching to understand what he was trying to say.

The firebird smiled in return, hand passing through the tanned hand.

"Don't worry. I will." Keith promised, watching as water moved, stretching out so that Keith and Hunk could pass through it. Lancelot stepped to the side, tears falling down his face, eyes glued onto Keith.

"I'm sorry." Keith shook his head, not sure who he was apologizing to as he passed through the veil of water. He sank his hand in first, stepping through the veil with baited breath. The world was blue around him, so blue, and it shown with magic as he felt himself walk through the submerged area. Hunk caught his hand, unwilling to let the two of them get lost or separated as they passed through the water.  
  
They walked together, only for a few moments, before they broke the surface together with twin gasps. Keith was the first, gasping and panting for breath as he moved onto unfamiliar dry surface.  
  
"So we finally meet firebird."  
  
Keith's head snapped up, only for him to see a _very_  familiar face. He knew this man, the man with the black sword, the one that had killed Lancelot before, "You?"  
  
"Me." The man reaches down and grabs Keith's raven hair, lifting the firebird out of the water. Keith cried out as he was raised, his hands reaching up to grab the guy's wrist, trying his best to ease the pain in his skull.

"You were a fool to come to me willingly, and for what? Love? How utterly disappointing." The man, Zarkon, held onto Keith without mercy, holding him up while Keith struggled. "Where is the firebird I once knew? The one that fought with the intention to kill, and with passion in his sword."  
  
Zarkon's voice was low as he threw Keith further into his ship. "The firebird I knew deserved a worthier death, but you? Truly pathetic." He stood in place, watching as Keith picked himself up, wobbling on his feet as he stood. Keith felt someone grab him from behind, holding his hands behind his back.  
  
Keith turned his head, eyes widening when he noticed who it was. "Lance?"  
  
The pirate tightened his hold on Keith, eyes black as he stared at the firebird with a smirk on his face.  
  
"You're pitiful." Zarkon hissed, approaching Keith so that he stood in front of him. "A weakling like you deserves a death like this. What a disappointment." He looked up, narrowing his eyes as he spotted a third figure in the room. "Is everything ready?"  
  
"Yes." Haggar's voice replied from somewhere in the darkness. "First we need to restrain the firebird before I can take his life. Go on slave, tie him while I finish the potion."  
  
"Yes." Lance listened, dragging Keith to a metallic board with chains attached to it.

Keith, knowing Haggar was in sight, mentally sent a quick apology to Lance before delivering a quick kick to his jaw, knocking the possessed pirate right off his feet. Lance hissed, refusing to let go, but Keith booted him again and loosened the pirate's hold on his wrist. He fought back, getting out of Lance's range before he burst into flame, driving himself towards Zarkon with a vicious growl, determined to end it all _right here_.  
  
Zarkon was ready for him, unsheathing a black sword and taking a vicious swing at the firebird, one that Keith had to duck to miss. He swung again, and Keith dodged it as well. They became trapped in a dance, narrowly avoiding death as the two of them struck or missed with their attacks, Keith's human body twisting and turning as he danced around Zarkon's sword.  
  
There was a screech, and suddenly the black eyed Lance was trying to drag him back with blacked magic, only for the forgotten Hunk to come out of nowhere and tackle the pirate to the ground while he was distracted, "Don't worry guys! I'm here!"  
  
"Hunk! Watch out for Haggar!" Keith hissed, ducking down as Zarkon's sword nicked his arm just the smallest bit. Knowing that the two pirates would be occupied, Keith made a decision that he hoped would turn the tides of this battle, he let his human form melt away, changing into the truest and most pure form of a firebird. Zarkon jumped back as the flames spread around them, trying to move out of range. Rainbow tides of flame consumed Keith, drowning him in their powers, and his body gave way to the magnificent power he held.  
  
The firebird gave a truly fearsome cry as it dove for the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: I have an instagram now, msbluebellgarden. Anyway!!! I'm really excited to say that we're almost done. And Keith's birthday is soon!!!!
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: One more chapter and an epilogue to go! Happy reading <3
> 
> Chapter Betaed by the wonderful SilviaMoon.
> 
> Tumblr:  
> MsBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	7. Sailing Forward

Keith clashed against Zarkon's sword, fighting against the emperor with all his force. Some of his fire began burning parts of the wooden ship, slowly engulfing it in flames.

Hunk and Lance struggled while on the ground, tackling each other in a fight for control. The tanned pirate grinned, looking up at Hunk before his hand began to glow. Hunk gasped, dodging as a wave of dark energy shot out of Lance's hand. "Lance! Buddy! Snap out of it! This isn't you!" He tried to get through to the other but it didn't seem to have any effect at all.

Hunk was taken aback when all of a sudden dark magic enveloped him, picking him up and throwing him into the side of the wall. Haggar's hand was glowing, eyes narrowed as she looked back at her minion. "The firebird thinks he has the upper hand. However, I'm here to show him how _very_  wrong he is."

She used her magic, creating holes on the ground before creatures of various sizes began emerging. One managed to hold the possessed Lance down with its paw, while another had Hunk cornered. If there is one weakness the firebird has then it's the fear of losing the ones he loves. She had been alive long enough to notice this, and _oh_ how very easy was it to see.

Haggar's eyes moved onto her emperor as well as the firebird, attacking with her dark magic to break them apart. The two jumped away, heads turning towards her.

"Give up firebird." Haggar hissed, "I'm the one who has the upper hand here." She motioned to both Hunk and Lance. "If you want to spare their lives, put down your flames and surrender yourself. I'm in control here."

The firebird let out an inhumane cry as he dived down, sinking his talons into the emperor's shoulders before the flames extinguished, Zarkon was growling as he tried to throw off the firebird, and both fighters stared each other down. The hag let her creatures sink their claws just the slightest big deeper into Lance and Hunk's skin, and the firebird readied his razor sharp talons against the emperor's neck as the man growled beneath him.

All was quiet for a moment.

The wooden ship was still burning around them, and the creatures of the dark were whirling between the flurry of flames, looking for shadows to take refuge in. Neither side was willing to back down now that there were hostages. It came down to waiting, seeing which individual would break first.

It was Keith who did.

The firebird let out a cry as he unleashed a bright flash of flame, burning the emperor badly and blinding Haggar for just a moment. The moment was all he needed, as the creatures were forced to move back just long enough for the bird to dive for Lance. He caught the pirate by the back of his coat, lifting him away from the situation. Hunk took his chance to fight back the creature, taking his blessed weapon and swinging it against the beast with all his force, crushing its head in. The yellow pirate let out a cry as he dove after Keith, trying to catch the firebird so that they could all escape.  
  
Lance, still possessed, fought against the firebird's hold, causing Keith to drop both pirates in the struggle. Hunk fell with a small noise, hands still clenched tightly around his weapon as he scrambled to keep Lance at bay. Keith gave another cry before he dove back after them, the ship still burning, and Haggar still determined to rain black magic after them.

The dark witch shot at the firebird, keeping him occupied while Lance took care of the other pirate. The brunette grinned as he pushed Hunk further back, the yellow pirate mindful as to not hurt his captain. "Lance! Snap out of it! It's me! Hunk!"

"I don't know you. Haha!" The brunette laughed, pushing Hunk further back. Then, however, he was shoved back when the firebird landed on the boat again, flames roaming around. Lance growled, standing back up.

"Get me the firebird's feather!" Haggar commanded, "If I have that, I'll be able to control the firebird!" She commanded, Lance quickly running inside to get the said item.

Keith flew in after him, throwing himself onto the controlled pirate. Lance fell with a thud, both him and Keith looking up to see the feather Lance lost a while back. Keith's eyes widened at the sight, looking at his own pinion that was engulfed by dark magic.

Lance hissed, pushing Keith away to reach for the feather. "You're mine firebird!"

"Lance." Keith let himself melt back into a human form, struggling against the pirate as he tried to pull him back, "Lance? Look at me. It's Keith; remember? It's Keith. You're Lance, you don't want to hurt me. I know you don't."

Lance hissed hatefully, fighting back against the firebird, "You're too late firebird, this is _my_  thrall now."

"Lance, you need to snap out of this. She can't win." Keith wrapped his arms around the pirate, not willing to let go, "You beat her before, you can do it again. Please, I know you can, love."

The pirate hissed again, trying to shake Keith off. He raised his hand up, ready to attack the firebird and shove him off with his dark magic. "You're a fool firebird! You've left yourself wide open!" He was just about to attack when the feather suddenly began to glow in a bright red light. Lance and Keith both looked up, surprised when the world around them suddenly changed, replacing it with a familiar scenery. The pirate grumbled, pushing Keith away now that the firebird was distracted.

Keith stumbled back on soft grass, looking into the distance to see the familiar buildings. "A-Altea?"

"What did you do?" Lance asked, facing Keith head on and ready to attack. "Doesn't matter." His hands suddenly began emitting dark flames. "I'll take you down and get you back to Zarkon's ship."

"G-Guys?" Hunk's voice sounded from all around, "Hold on, I'll get you out!"

Lance ignored the echo of Hunk's voice, choosing instead to focus on attacking Keith and with an enraged cry he threw two whips of dark fire at the raven haired boy. Keith shielded himself when he was hit by the burning lashes, the flames licking at his skin and biting him. He let out a startled cry, unused to being hurt by _fire_ , "Lance. Lance stop."  
  
"You're _ours_  firebird." Lance hissed darkly, "Just as you've always been."  
  
"Lance, you need to stop." Keith let white flames fight back against the black magic, he moved forward, fighting against the magic as he tried to reach Lance, "Please, you need to break out of this. I _need_  you Lance."  
  
"Lance is _dead_." He hissed, "There is only me, there is only my thrall, and soon there won't be you either."  
  
"Bullshit." Keith growled, grabbing Lance once he _finally_  reached him, "Now snap out of it before both you and Hunk burn alive on this stupid ship! I'm not ready to lose you again."

"You already did." Lance hissed, pushing Keith down onto the ground, the both of them burning in flames of white and black. "You're _nothing_  to me, you  _never_  were." The pirate grinned, lowering himself down, "I _never_  loved you. It was all an act so that I could get your feathers."

But as soon as Lance said it, Keith began to laugh, confusing the pirate. "You're not Lance. I know it." He grabbed the tanned wrists, "I've experienced it well enough to know what's fake or not."

"Wha-?" Lance was about to ask what he meant when suddenly he was pushed down onto the ground. He grumbled in pain, looking up at Keith and his spread out wings. "My flames will never burn Lance." Keith smiled, "But they will burn  _you_."

"What do you mea-Waaa!" Fire suddenly engulfed them whole, red flames surrounding them while Lance began to scream out in pain. Keith held on, pinning down the pirate as he screamed.

As the fire burned, the dark magic within Lance suddenly began to take shape of its own, separating from Lance's body. Keith's flames burned as a dark creature jumped away, barely managing to escape the fury of Keith's flames. It separated from its host body, leaving a weakened Lance in Keith's arms.

The brunette blinked open his eyes, looking up at the firebird. "K-Keith?"

" _Lance_." Keith let out a relieved sigh, pulling the pirate closer into his arms, " _Lance_. Thank the gods."

"Keith, what's going on? Where's Shiro?" The tanned pirate asked, looking around at the startling surroundings, "Where _are_  we?"  
  
"You were possessed Lance." Keith broke carefully, cradling the pirate gently in his arms, "But we brought you back, we beat her. Now we have to get out of here and get rid of Haggar."  
  
"GUYS! IF YOU'RE IN THERE THEN I COULD USE A LITTLE HELP!" Hunk's voice echoed around them, "This witch lady is _not_  happy!"  
  
Keith's attention snapped back to reality. He stood, Lance still held protectively in his arms, and spread his wings. He took off, not sure where exactly he would end up, but ready to break through whatever spell was over them right now. He needed to get to Hunk, and once he had the yellow pirate they could get out of the ship and leave Zarkon and Haggar to _burn_.

He flew higher and higher into the sky, hoping he would get out of the strange mirage that way. And once he was high enough, he reached the point where he hit something akin to glass shattering it as the world around them broke, taking them back to reality. They both fell onto the ground, grumbling before looking up at the struggling Hunk.

"Finally! I could use a little help here." The yellow pirate struggled, hoping to hold back an army of creatures that was coming their way.  
  
Keith and Lance scrambled to their feet. Keith threw himself forward, letting his flames burn through the creatures, Hunk on his heels swinging his weapon and destroying whatever wasn't being taken out by the firebird's power. Lance, who was weaponless and exhausted for now, stumbled behind them.  
  
Once a pathway had been cleared, Keith turned back to look at his companions. He held out his arms as Hunk jumped in them, the bigger pirate grabbing onto Lance and dragging the blue pirate behind them as the firebird took flight, "Hold on! I'm getting us out of here!"  
  
"You better hurry babe!" Lance called out, watching the monsters spilling around them. Haggar rose not far behind, her power spilling around her, Zarkon not far off as well. The flames were all around them now, and if they didn't get out _now_  then there was no hope for any of them.  
  
Keith didn't take any more chances, he had both Lance and Hunk, so he dove for the nearest hole in the wall, bracing himself as he smashed through the burning timbers and out into the rainy skies.

"Whoa! T-This isn't a good idea!" Hunk yelled out, holding for dear life as they swayed in the skies, barely able to keep flying. Keith clenched his jaw, trying to maintain altitude as he flew. Lance held on as well, however, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye, surprised to see a single feather falling down in the distance.

"The feather-Whoa!" He was startled when they suddenly began falling down into the ocean. "Keith! We're falling!"

"I know!" The firebird yelled back, "I-I can't with all this rain-" And then they hit the water, sinking deep into the ocean. Lance opened his eyes, adjusting to the salty water right away. He looked around, noticing Hunk to his right and then Keith who was floating on his left. Oh no! Keith!

Lance quickly swam towards him, hands cupping the firebird's cheeks. Keith was still conscious but he was running out of breath, bubbles escaping with the little air he had. Lance didn't waste the time, quickly reaching out to give Keith some air. Their lips met, exchanging air while Lance breathed through his gills. It was messy but the only thing he could think of at the moment.

Blue eyes moved to the right, noticing that Hunk was swimming up to the surface.

He won't be able to make it.

They were in too deep.

He tried to push Keith up but no matter what he did, the firebird was only sinking deeper and deeper into the ocean depths.

_Please no._

It can't all end like this.

Keith can't die here, right in his arms.

Lance closed his eyes shut, praying to any gods out there to help them. And just as he did, the necklace around his neck began to shine. Keith noticed it first, hand reaching out to touch Lance's cheek. The pirate looked at him in surprise, noticing the sudden glow.

The shine was dazzling and incredibly bright among the darkness of the water. Lance didn't know what was happening, but when he suddenly spotted a glowing ship in the distance, that's when his eyes widened in shock. The Blue Lion was glowing brightly, moving towards them with incredible speed. There were many fish surrounding it, helping it move along on its journey.

The Blue Lion managed to make it just under the two before it suddenly moved up. Both Lance and Keith landed on its deck, the ship rising quickly towards the surface. It managed to reach Hunk as well, continuing its ascent until it suddenly broke through the water’s surface. The ship was damaged and some of the wood still had evidence of being burned. There were holes all around but despite all that, the Blue Lion was still floating. The sails were torn as well but none of that mattered. Never in his life did Lance think that the Blue Lion could be as majestic was it is now.

He smiled, turning to Keith and making sure he's okay. "Keith, you okay?" He had his hands on the firebird's shoulders, looking over him in concern. Keith panted, taking in as much air as he could now that he had it.

"I-I'm fine." He managed to say, violet eyes looking up to meet blue. "Thanks to you."

"Whoa!" Hunk gasped, touching the wet wood under him, "The Blue Lion! How!?"

Lance closed his eyes, the smile still on his face. He stood up, walking towards the wheel of the ship before taking control of it. "Welcome on board my ship Keith." He said smugly, looking down at both Keith and Hunk from where he stood, "Today is the day that the Galra Empire realises not to mess with Lance McClain, captain of the Blue Lion and ruler of the seas."

The Blue Lion maintained its glow, Hunk falling onto the ground when the ship suddenly took to the air and began to fly.

"I'm not sure which of the gods is helping us out right now." Hunk said as he ran over to check on some nearby damage, "But I'm glad they're helping us out."

The ship sailed through the air as if it were built to fly, riding through the storm and rain with ease as it moved past enemy ships. In the distance Shiro, in all his glory, could be seen attacking ships one at a time, his sharp talons digging through the wooden structures easily, and lightning flashing onto several other ships, spreading fire in their wake. Lance decided it would be best to steer clear of the thunderbird's path for now and take out what he can.  
  
"Do we have cannons?" Lance called to Hunk.  
  
"Doesn't matter, the gunpowder will be all wet." Hunk shrugged, turning to help the still down Keith, "You alright buddy?"  
  
"I'll be fine." Keith panted, the rain still weighing him down. He would be useless as long as he was out here, and wasting energy trying to dry himself was fruitless, so he was left lying in a heap on the deck of the ship, "I'm useless when I'm wet, so you'll have to make a plan without my help for now."  
  
"Should I help you inside the hold buddy?" Hunk asked, ready to lift the firebird.  
  
"Doesn't matter, I'll still be useless in this rain." Keith lifted his head to look over towards Lance. "What's the plan?"  
  
"Take out as many ships as possible." Lance called back, "Hunk! Get him inside! They're still after him and it won't take long for them to realize we're not part of their armada."  
  
"Right!" Hunk saluted and moved to pick up Keith, "Come on buddy, Captain's orders! I've gotta get you out of the rain!"

"Wait." Keith held onto Hunk's shoulders, "I may be useless but I want to stay here. What if something happens to you while you're out here fighting by yourselves?"

"We got it covered. Don't worry buddy, we've faced countless battles like these befo-Whoa!" Both Hunk and Keith fell to the ground when an explosion sounded nearby, one of the enemy ships firing at them. Lance held onto the wheel tightly, moving the Blue Lion so that they were flying back onto the island.

"We don't have time for this! Hunk! Get Keith inside! It's better that he's hidden than being out here where everyone can see him." They had to get back to the island and pick up the rest of the crew. Then they'll be able to fight back against this fleet of ships.

"Got it!" Hunk took the order, turning to Keith and helping him back up. "I'm really sorry, I promise I'll make it up to you." He got Keith inside the nearest room which was the captain's quarters. He shut the door behind him and as soon as he did he turned back to focus on the fight.

"Hold on!" Lance moved the wheel, plunging them down before the ship straightened up again, flying among the wind. It felt amazing, absolutely _breathtaking_. Just like the times he's gone flying with Keith, only this time, he's in control.

"They should be somewhere on the island!" Hunk let Lance know, surveying the ground below them. "There!" And he did he spotted the group of pirates, their eyes wide as they stared up at the ship they thought was long gone.

"The Blue Lion!" Pidge and everyone else kept staring up at them with wide eyes.

"How is it here? It should be at the bottom of the ocean on a completely different island." This didn't make sense, not even as the ship lowered and Hunk threw them all ropes so that they could climb on board.

"Hurry! We don't have the time to spare!" Lance yelled out, looking up at the rest of the ships that were trying to chase them down.

" _What_  is going on?" Allura demanded, climbing onto the ship, " _Lance?_ How did you escape?"

"Long story." Lance called back toward the woman as the rest of the crew made it onto the ship, "I'll explain later! Keith is inside the captain's quarters and Shiro is one-man-army-ing his way through Galra ships, we have to help them."  
  
"Since when could the ship  _fly?"_ Matt threw out his hands, motioning towards the damaged ship, his staff held loosely in his hand, "This doesn't make any _sense_. I know for a _fact_  that this ship isn't built for flying!"  
  
"Worry about it later!" Lance steered the ship back towards the Galra, who were doing their best to fire at the thunderbird tearing through their numbers, but the heavy rains and the flashes of lightning were working against them. Even if fires didn't last long under the rain, it still damaged the ships heavily, and the lighting alone took out enough men to make it hard to run their ships and fight back at the same time. It was even harder when the avians were weighed down by the heavy rains hitting their wings, making every attack come from only the lower decks.  
  
Lance and his crew weren't avians.  
  
All he had to do was avoid the cannon fire from the lower decks of the ships. He could do that, especially since he was better at seeing through water than any avian would be, thank you mer blood. If he could get his crew onto one of the ships, they could start taking them out one at a time, same as Shiro. With the avians outside being weighed down, it would be easy to get past them and to the rest of the crew. If they could just make it through one ship then they could steal some gunpowder and they would have working cannons again.  
  
"I'm going to get us to the most damaged ship I can find!" Lance called back, "Do you guys think you can steal some gunpowder and keep it dry?"  
  
"Of course we can." Pidge called up to him, readying her daggers, "Let's do this!"  
  
Lance rammed the Blue Lion into a nearby broken ship. Blue held, barely gaining more than a scratch, but the other ship took some serious damage. The crew was easily able to get inside the ship from there. Everything must have been confused on the enemy ship too, because it only took them _minutes_  to get back with a few leather sacks.  
  
"We got it!" Matt called out, running towards the stairs, "I'm heading towards the cannons!"

"Fire as soon as you're there! We need to take out these ships!" Lance moved the wheel, cruising through the sky while also trying to evade enemy ships. They kept firing without a steady aim, which helped Lance further when trying to evade their fire. Although some were lucky enough to hit them, dealing some damage and shaking Blue up.

"Ugh! Quick! Fire!" Allura called out while Hunk, Pidge and Matt fired the first canon, managing to hit an enemy ship. As soon as they did it, the enemy began falling out of the sky, plunging into the sea.

"Oh yeah! Now onto the nex-" Lance fell onto the ground when suddenly the Blue Lion shook, a wave of dark magic passing through the air as Zarkon jumped onto their deck. The pirates all looked in shock at the emperor before them. His sword was glowing in a dark colour, enhanced by Haggar's dark magic.

Allura grumbled under her breath, looking up to see the ship Zarkon jumped from. Lance's eyes widened, noticing that Haggar's ship was still floating in the sky despite the damage Keith's flames did to it.

"I know the firebird is hiding here. Give him to me and I might spare your lives." Zakron's tone was low as he spoke, looking around the ship. Then he noticed the closed doors of the captain's quarters, narrowing his eyes while sensing the firebird behind it. "There you are."

Zarkon took a step forward, aiming to get to Keith. Lance's heart began to race, jumping down to block his way. "You're not going anywhere." He threatened, "I won't let you lay a single finger on Keith, much less touch him."

"You." The man hissed, raising up his sword, "I've killed you once, and I'll do it again. Surely the firebird will prove to be a worthy foe once he sees your dead body beneath his feet."

"Lance!" Allura yelled, throwing a sword Lance's way. The blue pirate caught it just in time as Zarkon leapt, attacking him head on. Swords weren't his speciality so Lance was having a hard time trying to fight off Zakron whose swings struck with such heavy force that Lance could barely manage to fight back.

However, despite his clear disadvantage, he still knew how to handle a sword. No, someone taught him...

_'You have to bend your knees and tilt down the blade.'_

He heard Keith's voice speak to him, a memory of older Keith resurfacing.

 _'Sword fighting is all about balance. If your balance is off, then you'll lose.'_  
  
He remembered his past had frowned at that. "But how do I maintain this balance?"  
  
Keith smiled, moving to stand behind Lance as he helped him get into position.  
  
_'It'll come to you naturally. All you have to do is follow your gut and you'll know what to do.'_

Zarkon's face appeared before him again, stumbling back as the man pushed forward even more. It was hard to keep up but Lance somehow managed to do it. He might be able to do this. However, Zarkon's sword suddenly began glowing with dark magic, and he knew that there would be no way he would be able to defend against such an attack.

"Die." Zakron used the black magic, preparing to pierce though the pirate before him.  
  
"Lance!" Allura ran as fast as she could, trying to reach him. Everything slowed as Zarkon's sword aimed to pierce the skin, Allura's own heart beating rapidly within her chest. She felt a surge of energy from within her surface and manifest within her hands.  
  
Her entire body glowed in a beautiful blue colour before she fired her power at Zarkon, managing to combat the dark magic and dispel it from the sword he held. Zarkon was taken aback, pushed by the pure magical force Allura had used, and fell to the ground with a heavy thud.  
  
Lance looked up with wide eyes, both him and the rest of the crew noting the way Allura's body was glowing. "A-Allura? You can use magic?" Lance asked in disbelief, Allura herself looking up in shock.  
  
"B-But how?" She held up her hands, stunned.  
  
"It must be...Altea!" Pidge spoke up, "Keith said that Altea used to be a land of magic! Allura, you're a descendant from the royal lineage, which means that you inherited the ability to use magic!"  
  
"I-I..." She still couldn't believe it, looking at her newfound power in disbelief. "I'm a mage?"  
  
But she didn't have the time to let it all sink it as a new wave of dark magic struck nearby. The pirates all looked up, noticing Zarkon's ship flying above them. Haggar stood on the edge, looking at them all with glowing yellow eyes.  
  
"Allura! You're the only one that can fight against that hag! We'll need your help!" Lance called out, holding onto his sword while supporting himself against it.  
  
"B-But I'm not ready... I won't be able to..." How could she possibly fight when she just discovered her powers?  
  
"I trust you." Lance assured, "We all do, and we know you can do it. Please Allura, help us."  
  
The female pirate stood in place, but even though she was hesitant, she knew what she had to do. Looking up, she focused her energy on Haggar's ship, using her magic to try and take it down. However, Haggar fought back and soon a battle of spells commenced between the two ships.

Blueish-white waves of magic fought back against dark black ooze. Allura had a lot of raw strength, but she was untrained, and Haggar had years of experience on her side. The hag was slowly gaining the upper hand, the threads of her power eating away at Allura's defences. 

From inside the captain's cabin, Keith struggled. The scent of magic in the air so strong that it almost made him gag. He let his flames run free again, careful to dry himself without actually burning the room. Still, it was difficult to walk, and he was still exhausted and drained. He tried to stumble towards the door, leaning against the wooden walls for support, but it was useless.  
  
Fatigued and worn, the firebird sank to his knees, gasping as he leaned against the wall. He was useless like this, so he decided to pray instead, "Please, anywho would listen, find favor in this child today."  
  
A series of cluttered whispers sounded in his ear, but too many voices said too many things, and he couldn't make anything out.  
  
Outside, Pidge rushed to help Allura as best she could. Zarkon was still down, and it looked like he might stay that way for a time, but there was something that she could still do. She ran over to the fallen emperor, approaching him cautiously before determining he was too knocked out to try anything. She reached for some spare rope from the hull, tying down his wrists before searching through his pockets.  
  
She found what she was looking for.  
  
A dry pistol.  
  
"Lance! Catch!" She threw the gun towards the boy, who just barely caught it.  
  
"What do you want me to do with  _this?"_ Lance hid the gun in his coat, "It's raining!"  
  
"You've got one shot genius!" Pidge shot back, "Keep it dry and make it count!"  
  
Allura meanwhile, felt a surge of sudden strength, as if something out there was renewing her pool of magic, and her waves started to push back against Haggar's slowly, overcoming the blackened ooze bit by bit. Slowly, the magic consumed Haggar, and Allura heard a distant Lion roar as the hag shrieked.

Lance grabbed the chance, aiming his pistol up to shoot at the hag. His eye focused on the target, making sure his shot would be clean and precise. When he felt that it was the right moment, he pulled the trigger, managing to hit the hag's chest and pierce her heart.

"Noooooo!!!" Haggar yelled out in pain, clenching at her chest as dark magic began oozing from within her body. Waves and waves of black magic escaped her, as if it had been stored there for many centuries. It explained her long life, as well as her strong magical powers despite being this old.

The black magic was strong and even as Allura did her best to combat it, she felt overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of it. However, among the black clouds of magic, suddenly a white lion emerged, slashing and dispersing magic as it ran around Haggar's ship.

Haggar fell down onto the ground, hands clenching her robes as her body began turning to dust. Dark clouds of magic began to disperse as well, leaving the white lion standing on the wooden railing of the ship, looking down at the pirates who were staring back at it in awe.

"I-Is that?" Allura was stunned, staring into the clear eyes of the lion.

"That is your spirit animal." Pidge chirped in, "It manifested along with your magic."

The female pirate didn't know what to say, her eyes on the lion that slowly began to disperse along with the remains of the magic she used. It let out a soft growl before finally disappearing.

"Wow... I never imagined I would see a spirit animal again, much less one manifested by a mage." Coran was stunned, knowing just how rare it was to have a spirit animal, even among mages. Many train for years and still never manage to obtain it.

"That's amazing Allura! You saved us all!" Hunk raised his sword up in happiness.

"Yeah! That was awesome!" Pidge added, raising her own weapon up in the air. However, it wasn't time for them to celebrate yet because as Haggar turned into dust and her ship fell down into the sea, they still had a fleet to deal with.

Lance stood up, his sword in hand while facing his crew. "We'll celebrate later. For now we have to defeat the rest of the fleet and protect Keith. Allura, can you help Keith recover? Maybe you can use your magic to-" The pirate gasped in pain, everyone's eyes widening in pure horror at what they'd just witnessed.

Zarkon was standing tall, his sword pierced through Lance's body with blood everywhere. The blue pirate gasped, choking on his own blood.

"With your death, the dark flames of the firebird shall appear once again." Zarkon pulled back his sword, letting the pirate fall down onto the ground. Soon a pool of blood surrounded him, gasping in pain.  
  
"Lance!" The pirates prepared to attack, Allura attacking with her magic again. However, as soon as she tried to gather magic within her hands, she found herself falling onto her knees. She'd used too much of her magic and now she was running on empty.

"Princess!" Coran caught her as she fell, holding her within her arms safely.

Zarkon didn't bother with the pirates and instead turned to the door where he knew the firebird would be. "The time has come for me to claim immortal life." He opened the door with a thud, spotting Keith who was seated on the ground, his eyes barely open.

"You will turn everything to ashes." Zarkon raised his bloody sword to point it at Keith, droplets of blood falling onto Keith's cheeks, "And when you destroy everything, you'll burn yourself as well. Show me the firebird I once knew. The one who destroyed all of Altea."

Keith blinked, confused at first, his hand reaching upward to tentatively touch the blood that splattered across his cheek. He pulled his fingers away, staring at the bloodied digit's in confusion, not processing what had happened or why there was blood on them. Zarkon, impatient, grabbed the firebird's wrist and raised him to his feet with a jerk.

"Even now you stay weak?" He hissed, his grip tightening around the pale wrist, "Covered in the blood of your lover? You truly have become a pathetic creature. What a disappointment."  
  
Zarkon raised his sword, ready to strike down the firebird, when Keith suddenly realized what was happening and, more importantly, _whose_  blood he was covered in. His eyes widened for a moment, disbelief tearing through him, and he screamed. It was an inhuman sound, something so pained and true that it shook the very ship around them and overpowered the thunder outside. It tore through Keith, causing the very blood in his veins to _boil_. Suddenly, everything was _rage_  and  _pain_  and terrible regret, because this monster killed him. He _killed_  Lancelot, and now he killed _Lance_  too.  
  
And suddenly Keith didn't feel weak and heavy anymore, suddenly he was just raw rage.  
  
He grabbed the emperors wrist, pushing him back as pure _fire_ burned around him. He gave a cry not unlike a falcons, and the flames burned hot around him--the raindrops evaporating before they could even touch him. He was _burning_  this man, and this time there wouldn't even be any _ashes_  left behind. No hag to save him. Not even a _piece_  of something that could bring him back. He would _never_ walk this earth again.  
  
Keith ran, pushing himself and the man off the ship as the flames scorch the area around both of them. Then they're falling, and the flames still burn, and burn, and _burn_  as he drives them against the emperor's body. He gives a cry as an uncontrolled wave of fire bursts from him. He's a sobbing, screaming, _mess_  and every sound sends another wave of fire bursting from within him.

And while the flames burned, Zarkon let out his own scream, turning into ashes in a matter of seconds. His body began to disintegrate, falling apart under Keith's hold. As they were about to hit water, Zarkon completely disappeared, no traces of him were left behind.

Keith's flames burned even now in water, flames raging and enveloping him whole. The fire slowly turned into a darker colour, burning while water kept evaporating all around him. And still his flames continued to burn, wings blazing as he pushed himself up and flew out of the sea.

Dark clouds were prevalent, thunder loud and powerful as it cast its fury upon the land below. Keith screamed out, changing into his true form as he spread out his wings, flames burning ever strong and powerful while he soared in the sky.

Keith's fire was out of control, falling from the firebird onto the island and other enemy ships that were flying around. Most of the avians fell down to land, running away from the firebird's fury.

"W-What do we do!? Can we stop him?" Pidge looked into the distance at the firebird, watching as his flames rained down onto land.

"We can't stop him." Coran answered her, "We can't possibly have enough power to stop a firebird while he's on a rampage." Even Allura didn't have such strength, Keith was too powerful for them all. That is everyone except for the one thunderbird that took action, flying towards Keith to try and calm him down.

The two birds flew side by side, Shiro following Keith even as his flames gained in force. The firebird let out a cry, flying aimlessly and letting his power run loose. Memories of his past self came to light, remembering how he let his flames rain down upon Altea as well.

Zarkon was right, he was the one who burned down Altea and destroyed it. He was the one who-

"Keith."  
  
Keith's eyes opened, suddenly finding himself back in his human form and in a world of white. Everything was crystal clear around him, feeling two arms embrace him from behind and holding tightly. "It's all going to be okay." The voice assured him in a calm manner, "You're safe Keith."  
  
The firebird flinched, recognising the voice and instantly turning. He spotted Lance behind him, smiling softly as he looked at the other with fond eyes. Keith was out of himself, embracing his lover tightly within his arms. "Lance! You're okay! You're alive!"  
  
Lance moved his arms around Keith as well, holding onto him tightly, "Keith we don't have much time. If we want to be together again, then we'll have to hurry. I'm-"

"No!" Keith let go, eyes so conflicted and lost, "I can't fix anything Lance! I lost you! Just like I did before! I burned Altea! I destroyed it! And now I'll destroy everything again! I can't save anyone!" He felt his breathing fasten, out of himself as he thought about what Zarkon told him.

_You burned all of Altea._

Their scenery suddenly changed, taking them back to that point in time. Zarkon was there and Lancelot's motionless body was laying down on the ground. Keith's past self was there as well, lighting up in flames. Fire was raining down. It was-  
  
"Keith, please listen to me." The firebird blinked when he felt hands on his cheeks, head turned so that he was looking straight at Lance's eyes. "You didn't destroy anything, on the contrary, you saved us all. Well...mostly."  
  
"What are you trying to say?" Keith choked, trying to fight his tears.  
  
"Exactly what I said. Look." Lance pointed at Keith's past self, flying to the skies in his firebird form. He spread out his wings over the darkened land, flames swarming to attack those that were taking life. And while those that killed were burned, many citizens of Altea were saves by those warm flames.  
  
Dark clouds began clearing, showing the sun that was hidden behind them. Bright rays of sun shone upon Altea, showing the remnants of the battlefield. Surviving civilians looked up at the bright sun, eyes landing on the bright firebird that extinguished the darkness.  
  
Zarkon was nowhere to be seen, managing to escape. That was the one mistake Keith made... And it was this mistake that will cost him everything now.  
  
Keith watched as his past self turned back into a human, landing right next to Lancelot's motionless body. He cried, even as the sun shone down brightly on them all.  
  
"You saved everyone Keith. You didn't burn Altea." Lance took hold of his hand, squeezing gently, "Because of you, many Alteans managed to survive and their descendants lived on. You _saved_  everyone Keith. You-"  
  
"But at what cost? You left me." Keith tightened his fist, looking down at his past self that was so broken. "And now you left me once again. I don't want to wait for hundreds of years before I can see you again Lance. I-I can't handle that. I really can't."  
  
The pirate smiled, brushing some of Keith's tears away with his thumbs. "Keith, I'm still alive. I'm clinging onto life but I'll need you to help me recover. Only you can heal me enough to get me through the wound I sustained."  
  
"W-What?" Keith's eyes widened, "You are?"  
  
"Yes." Lance nodded, "But we don't have much time. Please Keith, we have to hurry before it's too late." A tanned hand moved to touch Keith's own, "I don't want to wait to be reunited with you again. I just found you, and I refuse to go before I could spend some more time with you."  
  
"But I'm a failure." Keith's gaze lowered, "I can't-"  
  
"You can." Lance moved his head closer, leaning his forehead against Keith's, "You're the one who gives me strength Keith. You listen to me and you try to help me, even though sometimes you don't know how to deal with my worries." A smile appeared on Lance's face, "Remember my first curse? You were having trouble getting rid of it but you persisted. You kept going even though you knew that it would take time to get rid of."  
  
Blue eyes opened to look at Keith's own, "You make me feel so worth it Keith. Not only that, but you also make me want to be a better person. You're not judging me for who I am and you make me feel complete. You mean so much to me."  
  
"Lance..." Keith squeezed his hand back.  
  
"Let's go back. We have to fix everything, just like you saved everyone back on Altea as well." Suddenly the space around them began to disappear, the white that was all around turned back into the island Keith was flying over, still in his firebird form with Shiro flying by his side.  
  
Keith let out a cry, expanding his wings while his fire burned with a bright red colour. Dark clouds began parting and suddenly the sun was revealed, shining down on them in its full glory. The avians were taken aback, looking up at the firebird in awe.  
  
Keith moved to fly towards the Blue Lion hurriedly, changing mid air into his human form before landing on deck. The pirates were all shocked when he showed up, Lance unconscious in Hunk's arms as he laid on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood.  
  
"K-Keith." Hunk sobbed, clearly distraught by everything that happened. The firebird gave a firm nod, moving so that he was kneeling down beside Lance, looking over the wound. He reached out to pluck one of his feathers, focusing his powers onto it before leaning it against Lance's wound.  
  
The necklace around Lance's neck began glowing as well, both the feather and necklace making the rest of the pirates shield their eyes. Keith closed his eyes as well, focusing on the blessings that were within these items. He could hear Lance's faint heartbeat slowly gaining in strength as his powers helped seal the wound.  
  
Then the glow slowly began to cease, the necklace landing back on Lance's chest while the feather broke and disappeared along with the wind. Now that they could see again, the pirates opened their eyes, noticing that the wound was gone, as well as the blood that was there.  
  
They watched in worry as Keith leaned his hand against Lance's chest, checking for a heartbeat. Relief washed over him when he felt it, knowing that Lance would live. "He's alive." He let the others know, the rest of the pirates smiling in relief.  
  
"Thanks goodness..." Hunk let a tear fall, trying to hold back more tears while the rest reacted in their own ways. Pidge, Matt and Coran all hugged each other tightly while Allura looked at Keith with relief all over her face. And while Keith was looking at them, he felt the blue pirate move.  
  
Lance's blue eyes opened, moving to look at Keith right away. "H-Hello there beautiful." He smiled softly, "You made it."

Keith wasn't able to form any words, the pure relief too much for the emotionally drained firebird to handle. He didn't cry, but he did throw his arms around the pirate's neck, burying his face into the white locks of hair. He took the time to calm his breathing as he just absorbed the pirate's presence, thankful for the mere fact that this time his lover had _lived_ , "Don't you _ever_  do that to me again."

"Never beautiful." Lance promised, bringing his hands up to hug his lover, "Never again, I'll make sure of it."  
  
" _What_  is going on here?" Shiro asked as he landed onto the floating ship's deck, studying all the pirates and his brother as he landed. He wasn't on his feet long, landing on his ass as he fell from exhaustion. The older bird panted a bit, letting his body relax before turning back towards the group, "No, really, what is going on? I've been busy with the battle. Why did you freak out like that Keith?"  
  
"I killed Zarkon." Keith spoke up, pulling away from Lance for a moment, "He stabbed Lance... _again_."  
  
"Glad to see you're alive Lance." Shiro turned his eyes on the boy's bloody clothes.  
  
"Allura is a mage now." Pidge cut in, "And Haggar is dead."  
  
"Well...you'll need training." Shiro turned his gaze towards the newly discovered mage, "And we should _probably_  do something about the surviving avians."  
  
"I think they know enough not to try and fuck with a thunderbird and a firebird again." Matt whistled, moving over towards the edge of the ship and peering downward, "I think they'll be telling stories about _this_  for a loooooong time. I think I'm watching a new religion being born before my very eyes."  
  
"So...what now?" Hunk asked, looking around the still floating ship, "And how long does this floating thing last?"  
  
"Let's just...deal with the avians and go home." Shiro rubbed his temples, " _Please_."

"I think they'll manage on their own." Allura said playfully, walking to the edge to look down at the confused avians. "Some of their ships survived so they'll have no problems returning back home. Although this time, they won't have the ability to fly."

All of the enemy ships were either sunk or floating on water, none of them flying anymore. That could be due to Haggar's magic supporting them in their flight, helping the fleet move faster.

"Well, if we're going back..." Lance grinned, holding onto Keith as he stood up. Contrary to his thoughts, he was feeling much better, able to walk on his own. He took Keith's hand, walking up to the wheel, "Prepare yourselves everyone. The Blue Lion and its crew is back in business." The blue pirate announced, his grin ever wide. "I would like to invite the new members of my crew on board as well. Welcome! Keith! Shiro!"

Allura grumbled, stomping up and joining the two next to the wheel. "Right, as captain, I would like to welcome you onboard Keith."

"What!? Give me some slack here Allura!" The tanned pirate fought back, "I was the one who brought Blue back, and thus I'm her only captain."

"Oh really?" The female pirate folded her arms, "Isn't this all a result of Keith's power?"

"Ehem... No." Lance stood his ground on this. "I was the one who-"  
  
"Prepare to sail everyone!" Pidge gave the command instead, both Shiro and Keith watching as the pirates got to work, trying to get them moving.

The two captains smiled, giving up the fight for now.

"Are we done?" Shiro asked, "Because if we're done I'd like to get back to Luxia now. I don't know how long this ship is going to float and, frankly, I'm too tired to carry you all back."

"Back where?" Lance asked with a raised brow, "We're setting sail."  
  
"In a broken ship?" Shiro asked skeptically, looking around the waterlogged and heavily damaged ship, "You need to repair it and get supplies first. I don't know how long this magic is going to last, but you should make sure this ship is in sailing condition before you take off."  
  
"How _dare_  you insult Blue." Lance crossed his arms, offended.  
  
"He has a point Lance." Hunk turned to inspect the burns, "We're going to need to fix up Blue a bit before we're ready to sail again. Not to mention we need to get any water still flooding beneath the deck out."  
  
"I agree." Allura nodded, coming to stand beside Shiro, eyeing the man, "And we'll need to gather food and water for the journey."  
  
"Traitors, all of you." Lance huffed.  
  
Keith huffed, leaned against the pirate as he let his eyes drift shut, more than a little exhausted by today's events.

 

* * *

 

It had been at least a week since they've faced Zarkon and Haggar in battle, and ever since they've returned to the island, they began to adopt to their usual everyday life. The pirates mainly focused on fixing Blue who was now laying on dry sand right next to the sea where she landed. The ship was heavily damaged, however, with Allura's magic, they managed to fix it up as if it was brand new.

Now the mighty ship was floating on the sea near the shore, housing the crew that was now sleeping inside in their own beds. That is, however, except for one blue pirate who took refuge in his lover's treehouse, the both of them laying in bed.

Lance hummed contently, the bottle Florona and Plaxum gave them half empty next to their bare bodies, covered by nothing more than a blanket. Tanned hands stroked Keith's feathers as the firebird lay contently beside his lover, relishing the warm presence next to him.

But even though Keith was resting peacefully, Lance had different thoughts on his mind. It hurt to think about it, and it was something he definitely wanted to share with his lover. "Keith?"

"Hmmm?" The firebird hummed, snuggling closer towards the other.

"I..." Lance didn't know how to break the news, continuing to stroke the feathers while choosing his words carefully. "I'm thinking about leaving the island."

Keith blinked his eyes open tiredly, a small frown falling on his lip as he refused to meet his lover's eyes, "I know."

Lance hummed, unsurprised. He and the crew had been repairing Blue ever since they'd landed back on the island Keith called home; gathering supplies and drying out the sails. He's not surprised at all Keith reached the assumption. Lance had always been a free spirit, even back when he was Lancelot and had a bigger family to revisit, he wanted to go where he pleased.  
  
Tanned fingers moved, feather light, over the soft bit of skin on Keith's lower back, just beneath where the courting feathers grew. The firebird let out a soft intake of breath before melting more easily into the pirate's body. Lance bathed in the warmth, content with the fact that no one would ever feel as good in his arms as Keith did. He buried his face in the raven locks, "I want you to come with me."  
  
"I know." Keith trailed his fingers in circles around a set of Lance's scales, "I just don't know if I can. Before, I didn't have anyone and I could hide. Now though, I've set myself up as part of this community. The mer on this island...they're like family to me. And...and I don't know if I can leave without people immediately noticing I'm a firebird anymore. A lot of avians got away, and I don't know if word about firebirds has spread yet."  
  
"We can always visit." Lance soothed, brushing back the raven locks from Keith's forehead and planting a kiss there, "And I'll protect you if anyone recognizes you. We can hide what you are easy, but I can easily protect you if anyone does."  
  
"Shiro..." Keith trailed off.  
  
"Would want you to be happy." Lance finished for him, "I don't want to lose you so soon after I found you Keith. Please come."  
  
"Why can't you stay?" Keith buried his face into Lance's shoulder.  
  
"You know I couldn't." Lance answered, "I'd go mad here. You know me."  
  
Keith breathed, knowing his lover was right. Still, it was a big decision, and he hadn't actually left the island in this life since he was a baby. Even with memories of his old life imprinted on him, he still was a bit fearful of what the outside world had become, and reluctant to leave the mer that had become so close to Shiro and him, "When are you leaving?"  
  
"As soon as Blue is done being repaired and we have enough supplies." Lance answered.  
  
"That gives me time." Keith answered, "Let me...let me talk to my brother. I want to..."  
  
"Take the time you need darling." Lance kissed him, "I know this is asking a lot."

"Hmmm..." Keith hummed, mind swirling with different kinds of conflicting thoughts. He'd made a family here, grew up on this island ever since he was an infant. Leaving it would be harder than he ever imagined but at the same time, he couldn't stand the thought of Lance leaving either. It would be perfect if Lance could stay here with him for the rest of their lives but he knew he couldn't do that to Lance either.

Unlike himself, Lance is a mortal, which means that he wants to live his life to the fullest while he still can. Taking that away from him... Keith doesn't think he can do it.

He had a lot of decisions to make.

 

* * *

 

The day had come for the pirates to leave, gathering on the shore to say their goodbyes to the occupants of the island. They stood by the shore, saying their goodbyes to the mer that were there. Luxia floated in the water with her trident in hand, looking up at the pirates with a smile on her face.

"We may not have had a good beginning, but despite that, you've all become our close friends. You are all welcome to come back whenever you wish." She said, earning smiles from the pirates.

"Sweet! We befriended the mer!" Pidge and Hunk gave each other a high five, excited by the idea.

"We'll definitely come back if Keith decides to stay." Lance lowered his gaze, waiting for his lover to show up and tell him what he decided on. The wait was killing him, itching in place as he stood.

"Lance." Luxia called, earning his attention. "You have blue scales, and those are attributed to the mer in our shoals." She told him softly, "It could very well be that your mer parent may have come from our shoal."  
  
Those words caught Lance's attention, "Really? So this could be my mum's home?" He asked in surprise. "How sure are you about this?"  
  
"It's hard to tell but blue scales are often attributed to the mer in this region. I'm not trying to say that it's certain, but it is possible that your mother may have lived with us before she left." Luxia said while Plaxum hummed in thought.  
  
"I remember that my mum once had a friend, but she left. You remind me of her." Her eyes met Lance's own, the pirate quiet. He didn't know what to say, especially since this could have once been his mother's family, and now they're Keith's family too.  
  
"I don't know what to say." He muttered.  
  
"Then don't say anything." Luxia smiled, "You are always welcome to come back. We see you as family already."  
  
A smile appeared on Lance's face, "Thank you."

From a distance, just behind the treeline, the firebird of the island watched. Keith shifted uncomfortably, biting his lip as he waited for the mer to say goodbye to the pirates, his hands wrapped tightly around a leaf covered gift. He didn't want to give it to Lance in front of everyone though, even if it was obvious to everyone with a set of eyes that what was going on between him and the hybrid.

"Are you going out there?" Shiro asked beside him, leaning onto his brother's shoulder lightly, eyes on the shoal of mer surrounding the pirates.  
  
"I'm waiting..." Keith shuffled a bit.  
  
"You always do that." Shiro shrugged, "You'll be waiting a long time."  
  
Keith bit his lip.  
  
Shiro sighed, moving away to look at his brother, "Listen Keith, I know what I've always said about the outside world. I also know that I probably shouldn't be encouraging you to leave when this is probably the safest place in the world for you, but are you sure you don't want to go?"  
  
"I can't leave the shoal." Keith's hands tightened around the package, "And I can't leave you. You're my brother. I love you."  
  
"Keith..." Shiro sighed, exhaling as he turned to hug his brother, "I love you too, but are you sure you can still be happy if you stay?"  
  
"I can't leave you." Keith shook his head, "Not after everything you've done, not after how you've given up everything for me."  
  
"You're not _leaving_  me Keith." Shiro rubbed circles in the smaller boy's back, "But...I think the only thing worse than you leaving would be you staying."  
  
"Lance will come to visit." Keith's voice cracked a bit, "He promised."  
  
"Yeah, but that could be months at a time." Shiro pulled away, frowning at his brother, "You're immortal Keith, and he's a hybrid, you only have so much time before he's gone again."  
  
Keith made a sharp intake.  
  
"You and I...we'll live longer than any of them." Shiro turned to look at them, "And you'll be miserable the whole time he's gone. You've been waiting a long time Keith, I think you should enjoy the time you've been given before he's gone again."  
  
Keith's hands started to shake and the firebird curled into himself as he swallowed down his emotion. Violet eyes turned towards his brother, training on Shiro's face, "Is that what you would do?"  
  
"Yes." Shrio nodded, patting the firebird on the back, "I've thought about it long and hard. I didn't trust them, still don't trust some of them, but if you two have been in love this long...then I think I can trust him not to sell you out. You deserve to be happy too Keith, so let's go give him that necklace."

Keith hesitated, holding onto the leaf wrapped present tightly. His eyes trailed down towards the pirates, looking at Lance who was smiling with the rest of the group and the mer.

And while Keith was waiting for the right moment to come, Lance already began to worry. The pirate's laughter ceased, a frown replacing it right away. He couldn't get rid of this uneasy feeling he had looking around at the vegetation of the island in hopes he would spot his lover somewhere among the trees.  
  
"He'll come." Hunk placed his hand on Lance's shoulder, "He wouldn't want to part from you Lance. I'm sure that he's packing his stuff as we speak."  
  
"Yeah..." Lance lowered his gaze, "I'm not so sure about that Hunk. Keith's family is here, and he's safe on the island as well. Would he really leave all that to be with me?"  
  
"He would." Hunk assured, "He loves you very much. I can tell just by looking at you two. You're gross."  
  
The tanned pirate turned to give his best friend a questioning look, "Thanks Hunk."  
  
"No problem." He pats Lance on the shoulder again, turning to look at the rest of their crew and the mer. "And if he's not coming, then at least he'll show up to say goodbye."  
  
Lance looked up again, the uncertainty of it all making him ever nervous. However, just as he tilted his head, he heard the flaps of wings approaching. He looked at the clear sky, spotting Keith right away, landing on the sand just in front of Lance.  
  
"Keith!" He couldn't hold back, quickly running up to the firebird with a huge smile on his face. "You're here!" But then his smile slowly fell when he noticed Keith's pained face. What he hoped for may not be coming true after all. "W-What did you decide?"

Violet eyes flickered nervously between Lance and the crowd surrounding them, both pirate and mer alike. He hated that the were doing this right now and in front of a crowd, and he definitely didn't like the expectant look both parties were giving him. He was pretty sure each and every one of the people here were expecting something different. He wished he'd done this before now.

He looked back towards his lover, whose face had gone from hopeful to crestfallen.  
  
He _hated_  that look.  
  
And, in that moment, in a show of impulsiveness that an older version of himself probably wouldn't approve of, Keith made his decision. He couldn't stand the idea of having that look on Lance's face for even a moment, and he'd do anything to get rid of it. So he stepped forward, holding out his present, "I made you something."  
  
Lance flinched back, "A goodbye gift?"  
  
" _No_ , you dumb- it's a courting gift, I never gave you a third one." Keith flushed, embarrassed and wishing the whole thing wasn't happening in front of the whole shoal and the pirate crew. Oh, and Shiro was walking up, great.  
  
Lance reached out, hesitantly taking the package from Keith's fingers and pulling back the leaf to reveal his present. It was a simple gift this time around, nothing near so grand as his last gift, and definitely not a _feather_  because Keith wouldn't give away one of _those_  until a fourth gift. No, this gift was far more humble. It was a simple necklace with a shark tooth he'd found, decorated a bit with some shells and stones, and tied together by a leather cord he'd made. He fidgeted, eyes flicking back up to Lance, "I gave the tooth a repellent charm. It won't keep away sea monsters or particularly magical creatures, but it'll keep away sharks while you're swimming."

Lance examined the necklace with careful eyes, taking in the sight. A smile quickly spread across his face and he didn't waste the time to put on the gift. He let it rest on his chest, right beside the magical stone that Keith give him before, only this time, it didn't have any of the three protection charms on it.

"I love it. Thank you Keith." He let himself touch the necklace before his hand lowered, blue eyes looking up to meet Keith's own beautiful orbs. "So you're..." He asked hesitantly, Keith looking away, unsure of himself. Lance noticed the expression right away and he did understand what Keith chose to do.  
  
He knew what choice Keith made.  
  
It may not be a choice he wanted, but it was one he was going to respect. "Keith." The pirate reached into his pocket, taking out a single box. "I know this may be sudden, and I was planning to give this to you later but...I feel like is the perfect time for it."  
  
He opened the box, revealing a ring inside, "You may not accept but I've made my choice. This is my fourth courting gift Keith. I want you to have it."  
  
It took Keith completely by surprise, staring at the beautiful item with a crimson red gem on it. "Lance... I..."

"I love you." Lance said, uncaring that everyone was watching them. "I wanted to give this to you before I left so that you'll know that no matter where I travel, and no matter where I go, my heart is always here with you." He smiled, taking the ring and putting it onto Keith's finger. "Home is where the heart is, and mine is right here." He leaned his hand against Keith's chest, feeling himself get emotional.

" _Lance_." Keith's voice was emotional, his feathers standing on end as he stared at the ring on his finger, chest puffing up in pride at the gift. His hands tightened around the hand Lance used to slip on the ring, unwilling to let go, "I...I don't know what to say..."

"Say yes." Lance requested smoothly, hand turning to hold Keith's loosely, "You don't have to come with me Keith, but tell me you'll accept this?"  
  
"Oh my gods." Plaxum hissed from her spot in the water, "Just _go_  already. You're going to be _insufferable_  now that you've been proposed to."  
  
Keith snapped out of his daze, remembering his audience as he turned to them with widened eyes. Lance, the bastard, had probably been perfectly aware of the crowd and done this as a grand, romantic, gesture. Keith felt himself go red as he stared at the staring crowd, some of the more romantically inclined gushing at what they'd just witnessed.  
  
"Plaxum..." Florona scolded, "You ruined the moment!"  
  
"He's going to say yes!" Plaxum crossed her arms, "And he's going to be moody and miserable the whole time he's here now. I'm saving us all trouble and worry over a pinning mess. Keith, you have my blessing, go out and get married you little fool."

This didn't help the firebird at all, already a blushing mess. He lowered his eyes, unable to look at anyone out of embarrassment. "I... I..." He hesitated, fully conscious that they had a crowd now.

Lance held onto his hand, waiting for an answer. However, when he noticed just how big of a mess his lover was in, he decided to pull Keith closer, kissing him passionately. The firebird was surprised by the sudden kiss while the crowd cooed at them.  
  
"Ahhh!" Florona and Plaxum both embraced each other tightly, fangirling over the romantic kiss so full of love and passion. And as the two lovers parted, Keith turned even redder. How that was possible was beyond Lance.  
  
"I love you. My heart belongs here with you." He whispered, saving Keith some of the embarrassment. "Watch Blue as we sail, you'll be surprised." Lance teased before he let go, sending Keith one more kiss before turning to his crew. "Alright everyone! It's time to set sail! Ready the ship!"  
  
"Aye! Aye Captain!" The crew cheered back, that is everyone except for the frowning Allura.  
  
"Hey! I'm the captain!"  
  
"Nope! I am!" Lance fought back, the pirates climbing up onto the ship. Lance took ahold of the wheel, looking down at the mer and the two birds that were watching them. He smiled, eyes on Keith.  
  
It was painful for him to have to leave like this but he swore to himself that he would come and visit any chance he had. No, he'll come back and visit Keith after each adventure, he made a promise with himself on that. "Ready everyone!?"  
  
"Aye!"  
  
"Then let's go!"  
  
The Blue Lion began to move, turning so that it could sail towards the open sea. It was sailing away from the island now, Keith clenching his hands and holding onto the ring tightly as he watched the ship slowly distance itself.  
  
Lance still had his eyes on Keith before turning to nod at Allura, "Do it Allura."  
  
The female pirate took the hint, closing her eyes and focusing her magical energy. She glowed in a brilliant blue colour, kneeling down so that her hands touched the floor of the ship. With Allura's power, the Blue Lion suddenly began to glow, taking up to the skies and leaving the ocean surface.  
  
The mer and the two birds watched in surprise as the ship began to fly, sunlight shining brightly onto the ship as it went.

It took a moment for Keith to regain himself, "Did that piece of shit just propose to me and run off before I could even answer?"

Shiro blinked next to to him, shaking his head, "I think he _did_."  
  
"That bastard." Keith stomped his foot, "I cannot _believe_  he proposed to me and just ran off!"  
  
"Are you _sure_  you want to go with him?" Shiro asked, side eyeing his brother, "Because I'm starting to wonder if it will be worth it. Clearly, he's a runner. He practically left you at the altar just now."  
  
" _Oh_ , I'm going." Keith hissed, turning towards his brother, "You and I are going up there and _talking_  to him. That man is going to wish he'd _never_  met me by the time I'm done. I can't _believe_  he had the nerve to propose to me in front of my entire family, right before I was about to leave with him, _and then run off before I can get out of my shock_."  
  
"Are you _sure_  that's the guy you want to marry?" Shiro asked, eyes on the fleeing ship.  
  
"I can't believe I've waited centuries for a proposal only to have him _run off_." Keith hissed, feathers standing dangerously on edge, foot stomping the ground. He held his hands out to his brother, all rage now, "Come on Shiro! We're trashing that ship again! That'll show him! I'm throwing this ring right back in his face until he can propose _right_."  
  
"Don't be rash Keith." Shiro huffed, "Trashing their ship right now will kill them. But I'll go with you just to watch you yell at him."  
  
"I can't _believe_  I was about to leave with that idiot." Keith hissed, spreading his wings as he grabbed his brother's arms, "And I'm at least throwing all their nicer things off the ship! It's the _least_  I can do after he embarrassed me like that in front of my family."

Keith took ahold of Shiro, taking flight while carrying his brother as well. The mer watched them go, many of them laughing or giggling, embarrassing Keith further. "Go get him Keith!" Florona called after him.

"Yeah! Show him what you're made of!" Plaxum chirped in.

"Stay safe the both of you." Luxia bid her goodbyes, "And make sure to come visit whenever you can. We'll miss you both dearly."

"Don't worry Luxia, we will." Shiro assured with a smile.

"But will you all really be alright without us?" Keith was worried, and it was this worry that was making him hesitate on his decision.  
  
"No need to worry. You may not know this, but we have a little village under the water. Now that you're both gone, we will most likely spend most of our time under the waves." Luxia let them know, assuring them that the mer will be safe in their absence.  
  
"We have Baku as well so-"  
  
"Enough with the chatter!" Plaxum interrupted, "Go get that loser Keith! And make him propose the right way!"  
  
"Of course! He's mine!" Keith promised, flying high above the mer who cheered happily. They all gave their blessings to the two birds, wishing them a safe journey. It wasn't a goodbye, but a farewell for the time being.  
  
Meanwhile on the Blue Lion, Lance sighed to himself, looking down at the deck and the crew that were running around. "You could have become immortal." Allura's voice snapped him back to reality again, turning to look at her. "If you and Keith want to be together, then why don't you use one of his feathers to extend your life?"  
  
Lance smiled, shaking his head, "We wouldn't do that. I've asked Keith about it once but he refused to do it." He leaned against the wooden railing, "Immortal life brings nothing but misfortune."  
  
"How can you be so sure? You'd be able to stay with Keith much longer."  
  
"No." Lance shot her down, "I don't want to misuse Keith's power. Plus..." His eyes moved onto Allura, "Isn't love stronger when you fight for it?"  
  
"You are strange Lance." Allura huffed, folding her arms. "You've finally found the treasure you were looking for and yet you left him behind. It puzzles me."  
  
"Yeah." The pirate chuckled, "I'm a mysterious man after a-aaaa!!!" Lance fell onto the ground when Keith suddenly appeared, landing on top of him while Shiro jumped to the side to stand next to Allura.  
  
Lance's eyes were wide, staring at the firebird in disbelief. "Keith!? What're you doing here!?"  
  
"You moron! Idiot! Loser! I _hate_  you!" Keith yelled, pulling Lance up by his shirt. "You embarrassed me in front of my family and you walked out on me before I could even respond to your proposal! What was all that!? Are you seriously that dumb!?"  
  
"B-Babe! I-I thought you wanted to stay!" Lance panicked raising his hands up, "I panicked! And I was heartbroken!"

"Heartbroken my ass! We were having a bonding moment! And you broke it!" Keith fumed, and by now, he attracted the attention of the rest of the pirates who looked up at them in surprise. Smiles were all around, realising what was going on.  
  
"W-We were! I was being conscious of your fluttered state!"  
  
"Fuck that!" Keith lowered his tone, venomous now, "You're a dead man now Lance."  
  
"HIIIIIII!!!!!!!! Keith!! Babe!! I-I'm innocent I swear-AHHHHHH!!!!!!" And that was when Lance learned to never mess with a firebird, never again.  
  
Allura hummed contently, turning to Shiro with her hands on her hips. "Does this mean that we have two new crew members onboard?"

"I'm not leaving Keith." Shiro shrugged, watching as the firebird grabbed the pirate's collar and started shaking the hybrid, "He doesn't think I'm going to stick around, but I promised I'd never leave him. Though, you might end up losing a crew member if Keith doesn't stop soon."

"I cannot _believe_  I've waited centuries for a proposal and got _that_." Keith hissed, "I can't _believe_  what a dumb move that was. Next time around _I'm_  proposing, I don't care what we agreed on! Clearly, even my social ineptitude is better than the proposals you make! Romance my ass! I'm taking the bed tonight! You're sleeping on the floor!"  
  
Allura's lips quirked, "Poor Lance."  
  
"You helped this." Shrio crossed his arms, "You didn't even try to stop him."  
  
"He'd already walked off by that point." Allura hums, turning to Shiro, "And what of you? You're not trying to help right now."  
  
"After the stunt he pulled on my brother? Never."  
  
Allura's lip quirked again, "Welcome to the Blue Lion, Shiro, I can tell we're going to get along just fine."  
  
"Happy to be here."

"AHHH!!! Keith! Babe! The love of my life! My shining sun! I said that I'm sorry!" Lance begged, completely at the mercy of the firebird that was on top of him.

"You're not sorry at all! I won't forgive you unless you beg for forgiveness! You'll be my slave for years to come!" Keith threatened, earning a cry of help from the pinned pirate. Both Allura and Shiro smiled, moving to look down at the rest of the crew.

"Come on now! We have to catch the high wind to get us to our next destination!" Allura commanded.

"Aye!"

"Where are we going?" Shiro asked curiously.

"I don't know." Allura hummed, "We'll see where the sea takes us."

The thunderbird gulped, startled by Allura's words. The female pirate began to chuckle, patting Shiro's arm. "Don't worry, we have a course."

Shiro sighed in relief.

"N-Noooo!!!!" And as Lance cried out, the rest of the crew worked on getting them to their next destination.

With one adventure over, the next was just about to begin.

~

  
THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: Finally at the end. Thank you everyone for sticking with us for this wild ride. I had fun with this. Only an epilogue left. But, seriously, thank you. And thanks Ikemaru! Seriously, I love this art. XD
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: Finally the end! it took us some time to finish this fic but here it is <3 The next chapter is an epilogue so stay tuned for that <3 Thank you Ikemaru for this wonderful art piece <3 I love it soooo much <3
> 
> Chapter Betaed by the wonderful SilviaMoon.
> 
> Tumblr:  
> MsBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	8. Epilogue - I'm a Firebird

"10,000 years ago, there lived a group of mighty pirates that sailed the sea. They fought for the poor and stole from the rich, and even though they were pirates, their hearts were pure." A dark figure covered with a cloak spoke, surrounded by children who were sitting around him to listen to his story.

"I-Is it really true? How do you know these tales are true if the pirates lived 10,000 years ago?" One of the children asked, raising his hand up to ask the question.

"It's true." The figure answered, "The flow of time may have erased any traces of them, but their memories will forever remain in this land's history."

"Whoa..." The kids awed.

"But what about the firebird?" Another child asked, "You said that a firebird travelled with them but firebirds don't exist. Then how come one travelled with them?"

The cloaked figure remained quiet, a gentle wind blowing onto him and the group of children. "The firebird followed his heart. The truth is that nobody would have known about him if it weren't for the pirates. They showed him light once again, gave his dull life joy once again. The firebird finally knew what it meant to have friends...as well as someone he could love unconditionally."

"I don't believe it!" A small girl spoke up, "How can a firebird fall in love with a pirate? He's a divine creature."

"Love comes in all different shapes and sizes. The firebird loved the pirate, Lance McClain. His name will be remembered for generations to come, as well as the names of the rest of his crew. He was...everything to the firebird, and even now as the firebird lives, he awaits the return of his loved one's soul."

"B-But that's too sad." A girl began to cry. "W-Why does h-he have to wait so long?"

"Those are the laws of our world. It isn't up to us to question it." The figure replied, sorrow in his voice. However, since the children were too young to understand, they failed to notice any of it.

"W-Will the firebird ever find the pirate again?" Another child asked.

"I don't know, but what I can tell you is that the firebird is searching even now as we speak. He remains close to the sea, flying over it every single day in hopes he would find the pirate again."

"But why the sea? Did the pirate drown in it?"

"No." The figure shook his head. "The pirate belongs to the sea, and so, the firebird remains close to it. As the pirate passed away... He did so in the ocean's waves."

"Waaaa!!! T-That's too sad!" One girl began to cry and then others soon joined her.

"There is nothing to be sad about." The figure assured, earning the children's attention once again. "One day the firebird will find his love once again, and when that happens, they'll happily be together once again."

"B-But..."

"Kids! Time for lunch! Hurry back home now!" Mothers called out from their houses, asking their children to come back to eat. The kids all frowned, but they stood up despite wanting to hear more of the man's story.

"We'll be back mister. I hope the firebird manages to find his lover by then!"

The figure watched with a smile as the children ran back, leaving him seated alone on a stone wall, surrounded by grass. He pushed his hood up, adjusting his cloak before heading over to a hill nearby. He took in a deep breath, relishing the feeling of cold sea air that surrounded him.

He could hear the splashing of waves in the distance, ever drawn by it.

He managed to make his way to the top of the hill, somewhere where he knew nobody would venture. He took off his black cloak, stretching out his wings. Crimson feathers shone beautifully under the sun, stretching to let the wind ruffle thought them. Keith took in another deep breath, running his hand through a braid that was leaning against his right shoulder. The now older firebird leapt, letting himself fall down the cliff. He extended his wings, leaping through the air and taking flight. He flew over the sea, looking down onto the waves below.

The waters were calm today but the winds were stronger than when he normally liked to fly. However, despite knowing that the conditions weren't favourable, he still flew. It might be because of the children and the story he told them, but he _had_  to fly. It was the only thing that would help ease his pain. But while Keith flew, a strong gust of wind suddenly hit him, making him lose control of his wings. The wind pushed him down, and unable to fight it, Keith began falling down towards the sea.

He struggled to maintain altitude, but since he was flying so close to the shore, maybe he could manage to float just far enough to get himself back on land.

The water splashed as Keith sunk further down, trying to move his wings to get him to the shallower water that was so close by. He felt his wings become heavy, lungs rapidly running out of air. His vision began to blur, seeing nothing but darkness around him.

The water was cold and just as everything was becoming hazy, he remembered the faces of his friends and family.

Pidge.

Hunk.

Matt.

Coran.

Allura.

Shiro.

...Lance...

Nobody was there to save him. Long gone with the passage of time.

And even now as he sunk deeper, he remembered Lance's lips against his, giving him air whenever he fell into the sea. Those lips, however, were long gone.

And soon he would be...

Keith quickly opened his eyes in surprise when he did feel lips against his own. His sight was still a bit hazy, but with the new intake of breath, he felt his strength coming back. His eyes were wide, watching as a creature that glowed in darkness gave him air.

His blue scales were shining brightly in the water, tanned hands holding onto Keith's cheeks while he gave him the air he needed.

Keith tried to remain conscious, his heart beating rapidly as the face he was met with was so _familiar_  that it hurt. However, he wasn't strong enough, letting darkness overtake him.

When the firebird woke again, it was to see stars shining brightly in the night sky. He groaned, feeling soft sand under him. Sitting up, he stretched his wings, shaking some of the sand that was on them. He raised his hand up to touch his head, feeling lightheaded and lost.

"Are you alive?" He heard a voice ask, immediately looking to the side to spot the same person who had saved him from drowning. Keith's eyes widened, noting that the person was a beautiful mer. His scales really did shine brightly under the moonlight, his hair brown and eyes blue to match the colour of his scales. He was sitting on the sand, pulling himself up so that only the tip of his tail was touching the water.

"Uhh... Hello?" The mer waved his hand before Keith's eyes, looking for any reaction at all. "Oh my god! You really are dead! No! Worse! Brain dead!"

"L-L..." The stunned firebird couldn't get the name out, too weak and too shocked by the sight of the brunette mer with the familiar face.  
  
"Oh no." The mer panicked further, his hands hastily slapping at the pale face, "Oh no, oh no, oh no. Please be okay, I don't wanna go home and try to explain that an avian almost drowned here! My mama will _never_  believe me! _Allura_  will never believe me! Please don't break the treaty between our peoples Mr. Avian!"  
  
The firebird felt tears leak his eyes as he managed to choke out, "Not an avian."  
  
"Oh god! He's confused about his species!" The mer continued to panic.  
  
The firebird was able to find the will to move his muscles, forcing himself upward as he continued to drink in the sight of the mer. It had to be, there was no way it wasn't Lance, it _felt_  like Lance. It _had_  to be, no one else was like Lance. His wings were soaked, and his clothes were ruined, and he was pretty sure he was a mess, but the hope in his heart burned brighter than any star and he couldn't help the happiness that spread through his veins.  
  
He reached forward, touching the mer's shoulder, _"Thank you."_  
  
The mer paused, blinking at the pale man, "Y-You're welcome."  
  
Keith paused here, unsure what to do. He hadn't met Lance again when one of them remembered, it had just...come so naturally last time, and now he found he was lost for the first time in a long while. Should he tell the mer? Should he start off slow?  
  
He decided to test the waters, "My name is Keith, and I'm not an avian. I'm a firebird."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: You thought we were going to show the wedding? Clearly, you don't know us. Thanks for all the love and support you've given us on this adventure! We hope to see you again with out other fics.
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: The end. I really hope you enjoyed the story and that you'll read the one-shot we'll post for this in the future. Thank u so much!
> 
> Chapter Betaed by the wonderful SilviaMoon.
> 
> Tumblr:  
> MsBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


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